- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 October 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 25 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the causes of varying recycling performance between local authorities, and when any such analysis will be published.
Answer
We are working with industry, local government and environmental groups to develop a route map to deliver our waste and recycling targets for 2025 and beyond. As part of this work, local variation in recycling performance and its causes are being carefully considered, building on the work to identify key challenges and lessons through Scotland’s 2019 Recycling Summit. There are numerous factors that impact on recycling rates, including housing stock, social demographics, rurality, service design & delivery and communication to residents.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 October 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 25 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the comments by Zero Waste Scotland at the meeting of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on 28 September 2021 that consideration should be given to the carbon content of waste, instead of tonnage, when measuring recycling rates, and how it plans to record and report on any such data.
Answer
We are working with industry, local government and environmental groups to develop a route map to deliver our waste and recycling targets for 2025. This work will also be critical in determining how the waste and resources sector will contribute towards lower carbon emissions in the period to 2030 and beyond.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 September 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 25 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what targeted support it is offering to businesses to ensure that they are prepared for the launch of the Deposit Return Scheme.
Answer
The Scottish Government, in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland, SEPA and Circularity Scotland Ltd, are engaging with businesses to address their queries and concerns regarding Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme. SEPA is also in the process of developing guidance for producers, retailers and return point operators to help them meet their obligations under The Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 September 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 25 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of businesses are currently on track to be able to fully comply with the Deposit Return Scheme at launch.
Answer
We do not monitor individual businesses readiness to comply with the Deposit Return Scheme. However Zero Waste Scotland, Circularity Scotland, the Scottish Government, SEPA, and Zero Waste Scotland have been engaging with businesses and trade associations to help them understand their obligations under the regulations.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 September 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 25 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will announce the outcome of the Gateway Review into the go-live date for the Deposit Return Scheme.
Answer
The Scottish Government is considering the recommendations from the Gateway Review into the go-live date for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme. I will provide an update to Parliament shortly.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 04 October 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 21 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure that local authorities carry out their duty to collect and manage waste.
Answer
Waste management and collections are the responsibility of local authorities and they are best placed to make decisions regarding the provision of waste and recycling services in their area. As democratically elected bodies it would not be appropriate for Scottish Ministers to get involved in the day to day running of Scottish Councils.
We continue to work closely with local authorities, COSLA and other partners to support waste reduction, increased reuse and recycling and responsible waste management. This includes making our first investments from the £70m Recycling Improvement Fund to support local authorities in improving recycling infrastructure, and developing a route map to help achieve our 2025 targets and beyond. We are also working with local government to review the Household Recycling Charter’s Code of Practice, to help make it easier for householders to recycle the right things and encourage high levels of citizen participation in waste prevention, recycling, and reuse.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 04 October 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 21 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the economic value of re-use, and what information it has regarding (a) how many jobs are supported and (b) the quantity of material that is re-used by this activity each year.
Answer
The report Making Things Last: A Circular Economy Strategy for Scotland set out that the reuse economy in Scotland has a yearly turnover of at least £244 million, supports over 6,000 jobs, reuses 89,000 tonnes of material annually, and provides opportunities for individuals to obtain high quality products at considerably lower cost than new. This data came from a baseline report( https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/research-evidence/scottish-reuse-mapping-sector-analysis-report ) which was used to inform support for reuse.
Zero Waste Scotland operate the Revolve certification scheme for second hand stores and internal analysis by them indicates that, based upon totals reported by the Revolve Network, the weight reused has more than doubled between 2017-18 and 2019-20.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 04 October 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 21 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of how much of the resources being presented at waste centres is considered to be fit for re-use.
Answer
This information is not held centrally and no recent specific analysis has been undertaken.
UK wide analysis was carried out in 2012 by WRAP on the reuse potential of furniture and electrics collected at Household Waste Recycling Centres. The data shows just below 50% of furniture was assessed as re-usable and over 40% of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment collected was assessed as suitable for re-use. This number rose to 60% as suitable for reuse following minor repair.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 04 October 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 21 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on setting a target for preparing waste for re-use.
Answer
Through our work to bring forward a Circular Economy Bill and develop a route map to achieving our targets to 2025 and beyond, we are investigating how further reuse and repairs could be encouraged and incentivised, including through more responsible production as part of our transition to a fully circular economy in Scotland.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 04 October 2021
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 21 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of local authority waste centres have facilities capable of receiving items for re-use, also broken down by item category.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
SEPA’s Waste Data Flow website contains data on the amount of waste prepared for reuse by each Local Authority.