Data submitted by councils to the government's WasteDataFlow database for the first quarter of 2008/09 (April to June) show that 35.5% (318,691 tonnes) of municipal waste was recycled and composted.
The figures represent a 1.9% rise from the same period last year and means that for the rolling year from July 2007 to June 2008, the country has reached a 32.2% municipal waste recycling rate.
We are not complacent and recognise that we need to increase our effort with local authorities to make further improvements to recycling services
Richard Lochhead, Environment Secretary
The data was welcomed by Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and SEPA as a step in the right direction ahead of increasingly stringent targets under the Scottish Government's ‘Zero Waste' plans.
However, the figures also show that Scotland's recycling and composting performance is still trailing behind England's and is currently three months behind Wales, with the Welsh Assembly Government announcing a 32.2% recycling and composting rate for the financial year 2007/08. (see letsrecycle.com).
This is despite Scotland earlier this year setting itself the most ambitious recycling targets amongst the home nations – to recycle or compost 40% of its municipal waste by 2010, 50% by 2013 and 70% by 2025.
As a result, Mr Lochhead, COSLA and SEPA all warned councils against becoming complacent and urged them to keep up their recycling efforts.
Mr Lochhead said: “I am pleased that local authorities have again improved on their recycling performance. It is an important step forward on our journey towards zero waste.”
“However, we are not complacent and recognise that we need to increase our effort with local authorities to make further improvements to recycling services. We also want to build on the recent launch of our ‘Go Greener' campaign [in October] and keep up momentum. Many of us are already recycling more – let's make it normal behaviour for everybody,” he added.
Echoing Mr Lochhead, councillor Alison Hay, environment spokesperson at COSLA, said: “Different councils of course are at different places with this, some have already achieved the 40% target [for 2010], but if we want to achieve this as a country we need to continue to work together by providing further investment and strengthening efforts across the board to work with communities and to weather the storm of the global economic situation and its effects on recyclate markets.”
“There will be challenges along the way, but improving figures like those announced today should give us confidence that if we work together we can overcome them,” she added.
Kenny Boag, national waste policy unit manager at SEPA, said: “While today's figures are a positive indicator of progress, it is essential we continue our efforts to minimise waste growth and maximise recycling if we are to meet our aims of moving towards a zero waste Scotland.”
Analysis
According to the new figures, 1,094, 304 tonnes of municipal solid waste was recycled or composted in Scotland between July 2007 to June 2008 out of 3,398,564 tonnes in total, while 2,228,216 tonnes of the remainder was landfilled and 76,044 tonnes incinerated.
Clackmannanshire, which had registered a 42.2% rate for 2007/08, achieved the highest recycling rate at 44.1% in the year up to June 2008, while Moray achieved 43% and East Ayrshire showed marked improvement with 42.2%.
However, dense urban areas and the Scottish isles were among the worst performers, with Glasgow city council improving on its 2007/08 figure of 18.2% slightly to achieve 18.4% in the year from July 2008 to June 2007, and Eilean Sair unveiled as the poorest performer as it managed to recycle or compost only 18.2% of its waste.
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