Why SNP Government has been accused of 'abject failure' to hit own waste targets

The SNP Government’s key waste targets are off track as MSPs mull a key piece of legislation to improve recycling – and have refused to embed a key aim in that law.

SNP ministers have been accused of “abject failure” after appearing to give up on hitting their own waste targets after rejecting calls to embed them into a key piece of legislation.

The Scottish Government set a target to recycle 50 per cent of household waste by 2013 but this has still never been met. Ministers have also missed their target to recycle 60 per cent of household waste by 2020. The most recent figures show that 43.3 per cent of household waste is recycled.

But SNP and Green MSPs have been criticised for rejecting a call for the targets to be embedded into the Scottish Government’s circular economy bill.

Scotland is lagging behind meeting its targets for domestic waste

Scottish Conservative MSP Maurice Golden put forward an amendment to the legislation that would ensure that the 50 per cent target would be reached by 2025, but this was rejected after SNP and Green MSPs voted it down. Mr Golden’s proposal for the 60 per cent target to be met by 2027 was also turned down.

In January, a Scottish Government document issued warnings about progress in meeting key waste targets, including that “despite a significant reduction in the waste landfilled, achieving our target to send a maximum of 5 per cent of waste to landfill target by 2025 represents a significant challenge”.

The circular economy bill, which was previously being headed by Greens co-leader Lorna Slater before she and her party were sacked from government, aims to improve recycling rates, reduce waste, open the door for restrictions on single-use items and introduce statutory waste targets.

SNP Climate Action Minister Gillian Martin (Pic: Mark Gibson)

Mr Golden said: “The SNP’s record on meeting their own recycling targets is one of abject failure.

“It is little wonder that their MSPs – as well as a Green MSP – on this committee were now unwilling to vote to agree to these targets, as well as any future ones.

“Current recycling rates have not even hit targets they said would be met over a decade ago and it now looks as though they have given up any pretence of meeting them.”

But Greens environment spokesperson, Mark Ruskell, insisted that "future targets must be set through consultation with councils and other stakeholders with a robust plan in place if we are to deliver them”.

Scottish Greens MSP Mark Ruskell

He added: “Maurice Golden knows this but seems to want to skip the consultation point.”

"One of the most important steps we could have taken to drive up recycling was the deposit return scheme that Maurice Golden and his Tory colleagues sabotaged in favour of a non-existent UK-wide scheme that is at least three years away with more delays expected."

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The overall recycling rate in Scotland is at its highest level since records began in 2011, but much has changed since current targets were set in 2010. The climate emergency has intensified our focus on emissions reduction, and how we view and treat our resources.

“Our updated Circular Economy and Waste Route Map consultation sets out our commitment to determine new targets for Scotland from 2025.”