Food waste recycling has key role in climate battle

Recycling food waste plays an important part in efforts to tackle climate change, according to a new report by Zero Waste Scotland.

The latest Carbon Metric report reveals that Scottish households have reduced the amount of waste they produce and recycled more of it than ever before.

Figures for 2017 saw the lowest carbon impacts for domestic waste since the pioneering reporting system – which measures the whole-life impacts of Scotland’s waste, from resource extraction and manufacturing to disposal – was implemented in 2011.

Experts say it demonstrates that cutting waste and upping recycling, especially of food waste, are crucial in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Discarded food is responsible for more of Scotland’s carbon impacts than any other waste type. Food made up 16 per cent of household waste last year.

As well as an overall drop in household food waste, Scots also recycled more than ever before –up 7 per cent from the year before. In total, nearly 100,000 tonnes of food waste was diverted from landfill.

Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “The fight against climate change really does begin at home. Our Carbon Metric, which for the first time now forms part of Scotland’s official reporting on waste, shows the crucial role householders can play in preventing waste and recycling more of their waste, particularly food waste, and how significant an impact that will have on reducing our climate-changing emissions.”

Environment secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “I’d like to thank everyone in Scotland for getting into the recycling habit and urge you to continue to do so.”