Circular Economy Bill aims to crackdown on waste
People and businesses across Scotland will come under new duties under the Scottish Government's Circular Economy Bill, newly brought before Holyrood.
Ministers will be required to set recycling targets and a strategy for reducing consumption and keeping things in use for longer; businesses can be required to charge for all single use items, such as coffee cups (with proceeds to be applied to advancing environmental protection), and barred from wasting unsold consumer goods; and householders will face £200 fixed penalties for disposing of waste in unauthorised ways, and civil penalties from local authorities for not complying with waste collection requirements.
Under the bill, the criteria for the circular economy strategy – and for imposing targets on ministers in relation to the circular economy – are:
- processes for the production and distribution of things are designed so as to reduce the consumption of materials;
- the delivery of services is designed so as to reduce the consumption of materials;
- things are kept in use for as long as possible to reduce the consumption of materials and impacts on the environment;
- the maximum value is extracted from things by the persons using them;
- things are recovered or, where appropriate, regenerated at the end of their useful life.
The strategy must also be consistent with the climate change plan and the post-Brexit environmental policy strategy.
Local authorities will be given additional enforcement powers, allowing them to crack down on flytipping and littering from cars. The Government will work with local authorities to co-design an updated national code of practice for household waste recycling, to improve consistency of services and increase the quality and quantity of recycling collected.
Vehicles used in committing offences will be able to be seized.
Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: "I want everyone in the country to experience a modern, easy to use waste service that makes it easy for people to do the right thing for the planet.
"The Circular Economy Bill with give local councils and the Scottish Government the powers they need to transform our economy and tackle throwaway culture.
"Of course, the best way of tackling waste is to not create it in the first place. There are huge economic opportunities in the circular economy and we have already seen businesses in Scotland creating jobs by turning what we might otherwise throw away into valuable new products and services.
"This legislation will support the growth of more green businesses and community organisations while cutting waste and climate emissions."