Proposals for a ban will be put forward in a consultation on a new Circular Economy Bill, to be published in May, the Scottish government said.
The Bill will aim to address public concerns with plans for rules around unsold products being destroyed or sent to landfill. It may also require retailers to seek alternative options for unsold products, such as donation or recycling.
Under its Circular Economy Action Plan, the EU identifies a range of potential legislative measures regarding the impact and design of sustainable products. This includes measures to ban the destruction of unsold durable goods.
‘Senseless’
The Minister plans to visit Fresh Start charity in Edinburgh to mark the announcement. The charity distributes essential household goods and white goods donated by retailers as part of their work to help people who have been homeless establish themselves in their new home.
Ms Slater said: “It is absolutely senseless for perfectly good products to end up in landfill. Rather than being wasted in landfill or incinerated, they should be reused or repurposed.
“Organisations like Fresh Start show that there is a real need for items like these, and with the cost of living increasing this need is growing rapidly.
“When goods go to landfill without having even been used once, we don’t just waste the product – we also waste all the energy and raw materials that went into making it,” she added.
Circular economy
The Scottish government said the Circular Economy Bill consultation will launch in May 2022, alongside a consultation on new measures to achieve Scotland’s 2025 waste and recycling targets.
A circular economy is key to the Scottish government’s response to the climate crisis, aiming for waste reduction and prolonged life of products and materials.
Michael Cook, CEO of Circular Communities Scotland, said: “We are delighted a timetable has been set for consulting on the Circular Economy Bill and look forward to working with Scottish Government to deliver as ambitious a bill as possible.”
Circular Communities Scotland represents a range of charities and social enterprises, which provide alternatives for surplus and waste materials.
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