Committee News Release
CENV 002/2003
Tuesday 18 November, 2003
ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE COMMENDS EXECUTIVE’S APPROACH TO WASTE MANAGEMENT
The Environment and Rural Development Committee has commended the Scottish Executive for the “impressive work” done to start changing Scotland’s approach to waste.
The National Waste Plan inquiry is the first inquiry undertaken by the Committee. The National Waste Plan was launched in February 2003 by the Executive and it aims to build on a major commitment of funding to transform Scotland's record on reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and recovery.
In its report published today, the Committee has acknowledged the huge challenge that exists in tackling Scotland’s reliance on landfill. Whilst the report accepts that the Executive’s National Waste Plan is a substantial contribution which is still at an early stage, the Committee urges the Executive to consider its recommendations to improve on and develop the work currently underway.
The recommendations include:
- Urgent progress should be made in setting
challenging targets for the reduction of landfilling of key non-municipal
waste streams.
- Development of robust and challenging waste reduction
and re-use targets to be incorporated into the National Waste Plan
as a matter of
urgency.
- Development of a clear strategy to ensure that the
infrastructure required to deliver waste management solutions does
not impact disproportionately
on particular communities.
- In particular, the Minister should
consider specifying a minimum distance which must be maintained between
new landfill developments and
residential areas.
- Full development of opportunities available
through the green jobs strategy and other initiatives, with the enterprise
companies urged
to take a pro-active approach to promoting the opportunities.
- Urging
the Executive to produce an action plan to stimulate change in the
packaging industry and to consider tougher targets for
reducing and recycling packaging.
- The contribution of community sector groups must be effectively integrated and developed as the National Waste Plan proceeds.
Convener of the Committee, Sarah Boyack, said:
“Scotland is falling behind Europe when it comes to recycling its waste. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Managing waste is about reducing, re-using and recycling and the Plan must address all of these.
“The evidence we received acknowledged that it is still early days for the Plan, but we believe we have come up with key challenges that will have to be dealt with if the Plan is to succeed and equip Scotland for the longer term. We hope the Minister will consider our recommendations and take them on board in the Executive’s future work.”
Facts:
- Around 9 million tonnes of waste is produced by the commercial and industrial sector in Scotland each year, and treated or disposed of by the private sector.
- A further 3.23 million tonnes of municipal waste is collected by local authorities.
- It is estimated that 91 per cent of this municipal waste is landfilled, with only 4 per cent recycled and 3 per cent composted.
- This record compares poorly with other European countries. For example,
SE Link noted that Denmark had set a target of 63 per cent for recycling
and composting by 2008, and other research showed that high-performing
countries such as Austria recycled 75 per cent of municipal solid waste
in 2002.
Background
With the publication in 1999 of National Waste Strategy: Scotland, waste management issues were brought together at a strategic national level for the first time. The Strategy set out how an integrated system for sustainable waste management would be implemented. The Executive’s National Waste Plan was launched in February 2003.
While waste management is currently provided at relatively low cost in Scotland, the country’s record on recycling and other environmentally and economically efficient management of waste is extremely poor. Historically, reliance on landfilling of waste has been extremely high. This process has significant potential environmental effects, including methane emission, contamination of water courses and ground water, etc and also impacts on local communities. There is also a growing recognition that valuable resources are being lost by the failure to reduce or recycle waste.
On 25 June 2003 the Environment and Rural Development Committee agreed to conduct a short inquiry on the implementation of the National Waste Plan.
30 pieces of written evidence were submitted and the Committee took oral evidence over the course of four meetings.
This Inquiry has not set out to examine in detail the wide range of
highly technical issues which surround the development of waste management.
It aims to examine the broad context of the National Waste Plan, assess
the main factors which are facilitating and inhibiting progress towards
the national targets, and identify some of the challenges for future
development.
The contact for members of the media is:
Sally Coyne: 0131 348 6269
email: sally.coyne@scottish.parliament.uk
For specific committee information, contact:
Mark Brough: Tel 0131 348 5240
email: mark.brough@scottish.parliament.uk
For public information enquiries, contact: 0131 34 85000
For general enquiries, contact: 0845 278 1999 (local
call rate)
Visit our website at: www.scottish.parliament.uk