Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government recognises the critical challenges and opportunities in transitioning towards a circular economy within the textiles and mattress sectors.

As set out in the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map to 2030, we are considering textiles and mattresses as priority products and have committed to publishing a Product Stewardship plan by 2026. We will continue to engage with stakeholders across these sectors to develop policies and actions that will tackle the environmental impact of priority products throughout their lifespan, including disposal options.

Furthermore, from 31 December this year, we will end the practice of landfilling biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) in Scotland from 31 December 2025.

We are presently running a Call for Evidence (CfE) on the potential extension of the BMW ban. This CfE seeks to support consideration of extending the landfill ban to include non-municipal biodegradable wastes by:

• filling information gaps on the types of waste that could fall under an extended ban, as well as their characteristics and environmental impacts;
• filling information gaps on the feasibility of alternative (non-landfill) treatment options for wastes that could fall under an extended ban;
• supporting consideration of any barriers to diverting wastes from landfill;
• To understand if there are wastes for which landfill remains the best option and;
• considering other policies, their timings and interactions with an extended ban that could support the diversion of waste from landfill.

The CfE is being run as part of a wider consultation on potential changes to waste management services in Scotland which also includes a consultation on whether textile collections should be a mandatory requirement for local authorities in Scotland.

The consultation launched on 25 March 2025 and will close on 17 June 2025. You can access and respond to this consultation here: Changes to waste management services - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space.

The extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR) scheme pays local authorities for an efficient and effective collection and disposal system for household packaging waste. This includes costs for incineration.

The Independent Review on the Role of Incineration in Scotland’s Waste Hierarchy (2022) recommended that no further planning permission for incineration facilities, beyond what was already in place, should be granted. This was reflected in National Planning Framework 4, which came into force on 13 February 2023 and is clear that development proposals for energy from waste facilities will not be supported except under very limited circumstances.

The key policy levers on this matter exist within the planning system. We will continue to work with SEPA, planners and the wider sector to ensure appropriate management of incineration capacity issues.

Extender Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) applies the polluter pays principle, ensuring that packaging producers pay for the disposal costs of their packaging when it becomes waste. It incentivises businesses to reduce excess packaging, to design and use packaging that is easily recyclable, and encourage use of reusable and refillable packaging. pEPR funding will go to local authorities to support effective and efficient collection systems for household packaging waste.

Scotland’s whole-system approach to residual waste treatment is set out in the final Circular Economy and Waste Route Map. It includes measures making incineration a less attractive waste treatment method, such as the proposed Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) expansion to include incineration. The Route Map also includes measures that limit the production of plastic upstream and increase its removal from the waste stream prior to incineration, including pEPR.

The UK Government undertakes scoping assessments prior to negotiations, and impact assessments on completion of an FTA, which detail the likely economic, social and environmental impacts of a new FTA. Those consider opportunities for increased trade in environmental goods and impacts on trade with third countries.

In our engagement with the UK Government on all trade negotiations, the Scottish Government has consistently requested more detailed assessments of the economic impacts on Scotland. We believe that before embarking on the negotiation of such agreements, the UK Government should be fully aware of their likely impacts across all parts of the UK. Net zero and environmental commitments should be a core part of scoping and impact assessments.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of developing a circular economy for electric vehicle batteries and supported Zero Waste Scotland in commissioning research which indicated that by 2030 there could be up to 16,000 tonnes of vehicle batteries in Scotland potentially available for reuse, remanufacturing or recycling.

However, current UK and European Union legislation dictates that the battery manufacturer remains responsible for the collection, recycling and disposal of the battery.

Scottish Enterprise are currently progressing enquiries from businesses in the electric vehicle and battery preprocessing sector which may be suitable to invest and locate in Scotland. Scottish Enterprise are work closely with each company in order to maximise Scotland’s ability to take advantage of emerging market opportunities in this sector.

The Scottish Government does not hold data on the number of employees in waste collection and management in each local authority area.

Local authorities are responsible for decisions relating to the operation and delivery of waste management in their area. This means that local authorities operate different systems of waste separation, making local authorities themselves best placed to inform and educate residents on the systems and services available to them locally and any separation required.

The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 set out that Scotland will move from a voluntary to a statutory household recycling Code of Practice to deliver better and more consistent recycling services. A benefit of the increased standardisation across Scotland would be to enable effective national communications on waste separation best practice.

Due to the nature of the projects RIF has supported and the timescales for waste data reporting there is a lag between projects being completed and impact data being available.

The Scottish Government invested in battery reprocessing and recycling facilities through the Recycling Improvement Fund, but these were delivered prior to the 2024-25 financial year.

We have noted the recommendations in the SAWC report and are giving them careful consideration.