The Scottish government is seeking views on its latest plan for transitioning to a circular economy.
Following an initial consultation in 2022, the new Route Map sets out a plan for new, national reuse and recycling targets along with priority actions needed between now and the end of the decade to help drive Scotland’s transition to a circular economy.
The proposed priorities in the Route Map are to:
- reduce food waste from households and businesses;
- significantly improve recycling from households and businesses;
- set new circular economy targets from 2025, which will run until at least 2030;
- minimise the impact of disposal of waste that cannot be reused or recycled;
- promote and support responsible production and consumption, including tackling consumption of single-use items and promoting reuse.
The government says the actions complement provisions in the draft Circular Economy Bill, which is currently at stage 1 in Parliament and include proposals for the creation of local recycling targets.
Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: “We have already made good progress across Scotland, significantly reducing the amount of waste we generate and landfill, but we need to go further if reusing and recycling goods is to become the default choice for households, businesses and the public sector.
“For people to do the right thing for the planet, it is crucial that everyone experiences a modern, easy to use waste service. This second consultation sets out our priority actions and the tools we will put in place to help everyone play their part in cutting waste and capitalising on the economic opportunities that a circular economy presents to businesses. I urge everyone to take part.”
The second consultation on the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map, which is available on the Scottish government website, will run until 15 March. The final Route Map is scheduled to be published later in 2024.
