In a consultation published today, the Executive is seeking stakeholder views on its initial thoughts for reducing the amount of non-municipal waste going to landfill. Non-municipal waste accounts for three quarters of all the waste produced in Scotland.
 Ross Finnie (right, pictured with Jamie McBride of Viridor Glass Recycling and Andy Dawe of WRAP) on a recent visit to Viridor's glass reprocessing plant in Bonnyrigg |
Measures including waste reduction and landfill diversion targets – as well as outright landfill bans – are among those raised as possibilities by the consultation paper.
The Scottish Executive said it would not be providing long-term funding in the same way it is for the diversion of municipal waste from landfill, but would be applying the “polluter pays” principle.
However, the Executive is trying to sell its ideas to business by highlighting the potential savings that recycling and waste minimisation can achieve now that the increasing Landfill Tax is making waste disposal more expensive.
Ross Finnie, Scotland's environment minister, said: “The producer pays principle dictates that businesses are responsible for the waste they produce. With the cost of disposing of waste rising it makes sound business sense to consider minimising waste at source and to recycle.”
Targets
One option to cut business waste would be to set “high-level targets at an all-Scotland level” to reduce the amount of non-municipal waste arising, increase the amount recycled or reduce the amount going to landfill, the Executive said.
A scenario along these lines would see the Executive and SEPA producing an annual report on progress made.
”With the cost of disposing of waste rising it makes sound business sense to consider minimising waste at source and to recycle. “
– Ross Finnie
Other options would see targets on waste arisings and landfill set specific to each industry – with good and bad practice being highlighted – or limited to the public sector, in essence extending existing measures.
One alternative the Executive could explore would be more use of voluntary agreements with industries, as has already been seen with the newspaper industry and its pledge to use recycled newsprint.
The Executive said targets for commercial and industrial waste could only be set once robust data on the amount of waste produced is available.
Landfill bans
The consultation includes a raft of measures the Executive could put into operation, including the possibility of extending landfill bans to various materials, as is already being seen with tyres.
“Bans could, for example, cover materials such as metal, wood and glass. Other countries around the world have used landfill bans to further sustainable waste management,” the consultation paper said.
There would be enforcement concerns for such an approach, the consultation warned, in identifying obligated parties and in dealing with materials in mixed loads or small quantities. The Executive would also have to consider its legal powers to introduce landfill bans.
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The consultation includes questions on the barriers to sustainable waste management in the business sector, the infrastructure required, planning issues, the pollution prevent and control regime and awareness of recycling among waste producers.
Stakeholders have until December 16, 2005 to express their views to the Scottish Executive on the consultation, which can be viewed at the Executive's website.
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