Circular economy and waste management
The circular economy – a focus on implementation: implementation or use of delegated powers in the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 may lead to some significant regulatory changes in Session 7 – including the first ever statutory circular economy targets, regulation of how unsold goods are disposed of, how businesses report on waste, new statutory code for household recycling. Beyond implementation of that Act, a range of other milestones are expected in the circular economy and waste management between now and 2030, including the expected implementation of a Deposit Return Scheme in 2027 aligned with other UK schemes, a Residual Waste Plan in 2027 (expected to set limits to avoid ‘lock-in’ to an over-capacity of Energy from Waste), and enforcement of the delayed ‘landfill ban’ in 2028.