Let's talk a load of old rubbish

Published on Wednesday 27 February 2008 18:45

THE Scottish Government's target of halving the amount of waste sent to landfill is ambitious – but it has to be. Every year Scotland generates around 20 millions tonnes of waste. That's a lot of rubbish.

Scotland has more than 200 landfill sites, which are a source of methane, a major contributor to global warming, which the EU Landfill Directive of 1999 aims to reduce. The directive set a target of reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill by 35 per cent of 1995 levels.

Reduction of waste is both a desirable goal and a necessary one. Of the 20 million tonnes of waste that Scotland produces, commercial and industrial sources account for 8.41 million tonnes, with retail businesses the biggest waste producers. Household waste reaches 2.89 million tonnes.

Around 3.54 million tonnes of the total waste produced is collected by local authorities, and 25.2 per cent of this is recycled or composted while 7.32 million tonnes goes to landfill, according to the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.

The Scottish Government has set a target of recycling 50 per cent of municipal waste by 2013, 60 per cent by 2020 and an aspirational target of 70 per cent by 2025. It's a lot to ask, but the message about reducing waste is beginning to enter the public psyche.

Pressure from consumers and politicians is growing on retailers to sell things with less packaging, or for increased use of longer-lasting, reusable items such as canvas shopping bags instead of polythene. Jo Swinson, East Dunbartonshire MP, lodged a private members bill – the Packaging (Reduction) Bill – in the last parliamentary session that sought to create a new law setting legally binding targets for reducing packaging and allowing consumers to return packaging to retailers. A similar bill was launched by Andrew Stunnell MP. While time restrictions prevented these bills proceeding any further, they do influence government policy, and 113 of their fellow MPs gave their support.

Recycling is on the increase in Scotland. Many Scottish councils exceed government targets, though at around 25 per cent more still needs to be done. Recycling is not in itself carbon-neutral, nor does it eliminate the need for new raw materials for manufacturing, but it can certainly reduce the amount of rubbish buried or burned.

Much of the pressure to recycle and reduce waste is on householders, though businesses are being increasingly targeted. With consumers responding positively to companies with "green credentials", corporate and social responsibility has never been higher up the business agenda. The good thing for business is that many green measures can be put in place easily and cheaply and could in fact save money.

Waste is a good example. Crushing waste with on-site compactors can significantly reduce the number of uplifts required to remove it, which in turn reduces vehicle movements and emissions – a positive move for both the local and wider community.

Combine this with recycling baling machines, which allow waste to be separated and bundled on site and taken directly to the appropriate facility, and great reductions can be achieved. This generates a reduction in landfill tax charges. It makes business sense.

But it's not just private-sector firms that can benefit from this kind of set-up. Public sector bodies could operate similar facilities at their premises and even civic amenity sites could be transformed.

Most council amenity sites are operated by private companies that make money by moving waste about. The more it moves, the more profit they make – but it is bad news for the environment. By installing compacting and baling facilities at amenity sites, the public would see material is recycled rather than buried, encouraging greater use.

More effective management would also reduce vehicle movements and thus emissions and traffic.

All organisations – both public and private – must take responsibility for reducing waste. It's everyone's problem.

&#149 James McNulty is managing director of Environmental Waste Systems.