Current status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 November 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what targets and timescales have been set for SEPA to reach positive outcomes with those businesses that have been identified a being non-compliant with waste regulations.
In 2016, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) was granted powers by the Scottish Parliament to use civil penalties including a Fixed Monetary Penalty (FMP) of £300. SEPA identified the duty for businesses to separate material for recycling as a suitable area to utilise this new enforcement tool and designed an enforcement campaign targeting the most persistent offenders.
In partnership with service providers, SEPA identified around 75 businesses across Scotland which had previously been unwilling to recycle. Following further inspections, over 90% of these businesses changed behaviour.
Of the businesses identified as being long term non compliant, two FMPs have been issued for persistent failure to separate food waste and further inspections of the others are scheduled for November 2017.