Scotland reaches 36.7% recycling rate for 2009/10

Scotland increased its municipal waste recycling and composting rate to 36.7% in 2009/10, figures published today (October 5) by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have revealed.

The figures, which are calculated from data provided from Scotland's 32 local authorities, show an increase from the 34.3% recorded in 2008/09, but mean that the country is still short of the 40% goal which the Scottish Government aims to achieve by the end of 2010.

As well as the full year increase, the SEPA figures also show a year-on-year increase in the recycling rate for quarter four – up from 33.2% for January to March 2009 to 34.5% for the same period this year.

This came alongside a fall in the overall amount of municipal solid waste collected by local authorities, from 3.29 million tonnes in 2008/09 to 3.2 million tonnes in 2009/10.

However, the scale of the challenge facing Scotland if it is to meet its ‘Zero Waste' goals is made clear by the figures, with its recycling rate only slightly more than half the 70% it aims to achieve by 2025.

And, in terms of progress towards sending only 5% of all waste to landfill by 2025, the figures show that, in 2009/10, it still sent 60.5% of its municipal solid waste to landfill. This does, however, represent an improvement from the 62.9% figure recorded for 2008/09.

Progress

Scottish environment secretary, Richard Lochhead, praised the progress made by councils in improving their recycling rates but called for more to be done if the country was to achieve its waste and recycling goals.

“These figures show that our local authorities have taken another step in the right direction with further increases in the level of recycling and diversion of waste from landfill.

“Our Zero Waste Plan, which was published in June this year, aims to reduce the amount of waste being produced in the first place, recovering what we can and recycling only what needs to be. It sets new, ambitious challenges and targets for all waste and presents a fresh opportunity for positive progress.

“Now is the time to grasp the nettle and forge ahead, as all material recycled will reduce Scotland's demand on finite resources on which our growth and prosperity are dependent.”

Alongside setting goals for landfill diversion and recycling, Scotland's Zero Waste Plan also advocated introducing material-specific landfill bans and encouraging separate collections of materials – and food in particular – in order to achieve its waste aspirations (see letsrecycle.com story).

Local authorities

In terms of performance by individual local authorities, Clackmannanshire retains its position at the top of the Scottish council league table, achieving a 46.7% rate in 2009/10 to build on the 44.9% it achieved in 2008/09.

In total, 16 of the 32 councils achieved a 40% or better municipal waste recycling and composting rate. But, the Shetland Islands now sits bottom of the country's recycling league table, after its performance fell from 22.7 % in 2008/09 to 19.3% in 2009/10.

And, last year's lowest performing council, Eileen Siar, improved its performance from 18.6% in 2008/09 to 21.2% in 2009/10.