The Scottish government has outlined new legislation that to tackle waste and increase reuse and recycling rates.
The Circular Economy Bill will give ministers powers to:
- Set local recycling targets, building on the experience of Wales, which has the best recycling rate in the UK.
- Set statutory targets for delivery of a circular economy to measure progress in reducing waste and the nation’s carbon footprint.
- Ban the disposal of unsold consumer goods, to prevent good products ending up in landfill.
- Place charges on single-use items like coffee cups to encourage the move to reusable alternatives.
Local authorities will be given additional enforcement powers, allowing them to crack down on flytipping and littering from cars.
The Scottish government will also work with local authorities to co-design an updated national Code of Practice for household waste recycling to improve the consistency of services and increase the quality and quantity of recycling collected.
Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: “The Circular Economy Bill with give local councils and the Scottish government the powers they need to transform our economy and tackle throwaway culture.
“Of course, the best way of tackling waste is to not create it in the first place. There are huge economic opportunities in the circular economy and we have already seen businesses in Scotland creating jobs by turning what we might otherwise throw away into valuable new products and services.
“This legislation will support the growth of more green businesses and community organisations while cutting waste and climate emissions.”
