Granton Waterfront is delighted to be working with the Edinburgh Science Festival to bring the free ‘Consumed’ Exhibition to Granton Station Square from 15th-19th March.
Consumed is an interactive exhibition that shows us how small changes make a big difference. Visit the repurposed shipping containers filled with fun games and hands-on displays for little ones and the whole family to enjoy!
Learn how what we eat, what we wear, and how we live can impact the world. Little changes in our daily habits can make a big difference for our climate. Find out how you can make positive changes that are easy on your wallet and great for the planet.
Don’t miss out on the free drop-in LEGO® Build the Change workshops on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th March between 10am and 5pm.
Join a team of builders to learn about real-world challenges and create your own brilliant solutions in this workshop exploring the circular economy.
Sustainable approaches to the circular economy and resource efficiency will be developed to enable the transition to a greener future
The UK will establish the world’s first United Nations-backed International Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Resource Management in the Circular Economy, Resources Minister Robbie Moore announced today (Tuesday 27 February).
Recognising world-class British academic expertise and cutting-edge scientific research, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) will support the establishment of the centre in the UK.
A circular economy is one in which resources are kept in use for as long as possible, rather than being taken from the earth, used once and disposed of in landfill.
The centre will develop sustainable approaches to the circular economy and resource efficiency to enable carbon reduction and the transition to a greener future. The UK will help countries across the world to maximise the environmental and economic opportunities the circular economy offers.
Opening formally in April 2024, the centre will comprise five institutions: University College London (UCL), University of Exeter, Brunel University London, Swansea University and the British Geological Survey.
Co-ordinated by a Government-funded UNECE research manager based in Geneva, this coalition will leverage their expertise to explore circularity in areas such as metals, construction and critical minerals to develop effective data, technological innovation, finance models and policy. The five participating institutions have together contributed £1.85 million to fund the centre’s technical activities.
Resources Minister Robbie Moore said:“This is real recognition of the UK’s global leadership in sustainable resource management and testament to Britain’s world-leading academic expertise.
“We are delighted to host this centre, enabling our cutting-edge UK academics to develop the tools and research that will help countries across the world seize the opportunities of the circular economy, leading the way in the transition to a greener future.”
UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean said: “Making the use of our resources more sustainable and moving towards a circular economy is fundamental to sustainable development and climate action.
“Partnerships mobilising international expertise play an important role in UN cooperation to develop and share best practices. I welcome the establishment of this new Centre of Excellence, with its focus on circularity of metals, construction and critical raw materials.”
The centre will also draw heavily on the success of several of the partner institutions in the National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research (NICER) research and development programme, a four-year £30 million investment established by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ chief scientist in 2019 under the UK Government’s Strategic Priorities Fund.
In July 2023, the UK government announced new plans setting out its long-term aim to use fewer new resources, drive up the repair and reuse of existing materials and increase recycling.
The programme – Maximising Resources, Minimising Waste – brings together a range of measures backed by government funding which will help to keep products and materials in circulation for as long as possible and at their highest value, including through increasing reuse, repair and remanufacture, helping to grow the economy and boost employment.
Today’s announcement will help drive the programme forward and contribute to the UK’s world-leading efforts to protect the environment and improve its use of resources.
Proposals to increase reuse and recycling and cut waste are being put forward as part of a consultation.
Reducing single-use, disposable items like cups, banning the destruction of unsold goods and promoting the reuse of construction materials are just some of the actions being suggested as part of the draft Circular Economy and Waste Route Map consultation.
Over the past ten years, the total amount of waste going to landfill in Scotland has dropped by over a third, with the most recent official statistics showing that Scotland met its 2025 target to reduce all waste by 15%.
Following an initial consultation in 2022, the new route map sets out a plan for new, national reuse and recycling targets along with priority actions needed between now and the end of the decade to help drive Scotland’s transition to a circular economy.
The actions complement provisions in the draft Circular Economy Bill which is currently at stage 1 in Parliament and include proposals for the creation of local recycling targets, reflecting the success of Wales which has one of the highest household recycling rates in the world.
Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: “We have already made good progress across Scotland, significantly reducing the amount of waste we generate and landfill, but we need to go further if reusing and recycling goods is to become the default choice for households, businesses and the public sector.
“For people to do the right thing for the planet, it is crucial that everyone experiences a modern, easy to use waste service. This second consultation sets out our priority actions and the tools we will put in place to help everyone play their part in cutting waste and capitalising on the economic opportunities that a circular economy presents to businesses. I urge everyone to take part.”
Members of the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee have visited Leith based businesses and social enterprises to learn more about the different ways in which businesses are evolving and adapting to help accelerate Scotland’s transition to a circular economy.
The visits form part of the Committee’s scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s Circular Economy Bill, as Parliament seeks to make sure the Bill encourages a new approach to the use and consumption of materials in a way that will ultimately help Scotland achieve it net zero goals.
Committee Members, Deputy Convener Ben Macpherson MSP (delegation lead) and Douglas Lumsden MSP began the visit at local refill shop WeighToGo, where Members looked back to a time before single use plastics and saw a simple and convenient solution to sustainable living.
Members then continued their research at the Edinburgh Remakery – a social enterprise which encourages regenerative practises linked to upcycling and the reuse of products. The visit ended at the Edinburgh Tool Library which offers the public access to all sorts of tools by promoting a ‘why buy when you can share’ ethos.
Following the visit Deputy Convener Ben Macpherson MSP, said: “Throughout our scrutiny of this Bill, we’re keen to understand each stage of the waste hierarchy – and what’s preventing reusing, recycling and recovering products and materials.
“It was great to hear more about the environmental benefits these organisations in Leith have generated, by offering more sustainable products and services for consumers. They’ve also helped social cohesion by bringing people together to share ideas and lived experiences, as well as learn new skills.”
“We want this Bill to support and drive change to reduce waste. Our thanks to all the hosting organisations for the invaluable insights they have shared.”
Lowest amount of Scottish household waste generated since 2011.
Scotland generated 2.33 million tonnes of household waste in 2022, down 148,000 tonnes (6.0%) from 2021.
Overall household recycling rate was 43.3%, up slightly from 2021
0.43 tonnes of waste generated per person in 2022 – 0.19 tonnes recycled, 0.11 tonnes landfilled and 0.14 tonnes diverted through other means
Carbon impact of Scotland’s waste was 5.5 million tonnes of CO2e or 1.02 carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per person. This is down 357,000 TCO2e from 2021 and 1.22 million TCO2e from 2011
Waste from all sources landfilled and incinerated in Scotland 2022
Waste from all sources landfilled in Scotland in 2021 decreased 21.0% largely due to fewer soils and sorting residues being landfilled
Waste from all sources incinerated in Scotland in 2022 increased 4.9%, largely due to an increase in sorting residues.
Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) statisticians have published Official Statistics today (17 October 2023) which provide detail of Household Waste collected across all Local Authorities during 2022, as well as waste landfilled and incinerated in Scotland in 2022.
The figures show that Scotland generated the lowest amount of household waste since 2011 and suggests the figures have recovered after the anomalous years of 2020 and 2021 – which were impacted by restrictions imposed due to Covid-19.
SCOTTISH HOUSEHOLD WASTE STATISTICS 2022
Scottish households generated the equivalent of 0.43 tonnes of waste per person in 2022, with 0.19 tonnes recycled, 0.11 tonnes sent to landfill and 0.14 tonnes diverted through other means, such as incineration.
The total amount of household waste generated was 2.33 million tonnes, a decrease of 148,000 tonnes (6.0%) from 2021. Of this, 43.3% was recycled, a 0.3 percentage point increase from 2021. The recycling figure includes recycling and reuse (657,000 tonnes) and composting (355,000 tonnes).
The Scottish carbon metric measures the whole-life impact of resources. A measure of national performance, the metric takes a holistic view, from resource extraction and manufacturing emissions, through to waste management emissions. This is measured in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).
The carbon impact of Scottish household waste generated and managed in 2022 was 5.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, which equates to 1.02 tonnes of CO2e per person. This was a decrease of 6.1% (357,000 tonnes CO2e) from 2021.
Waste sent to landfill continues to decrease
Scottish household waste landfilled in 2022 was 585,000 tonnes, a decrease of 78,000 tonnes (11.7%) from 2021. This continues the long-term downward trend, with a reduction of 868,000 tonnes (59.7%) of household waste landfilled since 2011.
In 2022, Scotland landfilled 25.1% of the waste generated, down 30.7 percentage points from 2011 when the figure was 55.8%. This comparison allows for the variation in the amount of waste generated.
Waste recycled and diverted from landfill
The 2022 recycling rate was 43.3%, up 0.3 percentage points from 2021 and an increase of 3.8 percentage points from the 39.6% achieved in 2011.
The majority was recycled or reused (657,000 tonnes, 65%), with composting contributing the remaining 355,000 (35%).
The amount of household waste managed by other diversion from landfill was 736,000 tonnes, a decrease of 15,000 tonnes (1.9%) from 2021. Most was managed by incineration (604,000 tonnes, 82.0%).
What Scotland is recycling – plastic and textiles up, glass and construction & soils down
The largest material category recycled or reused in 2022 was paper and cardboard (181,000 tonnes, 27.6%). There was a decrease of 2.7% for these materials recycled or reused between 2021 and 2022, which fits with the longer-term downward trend for paper and cardboard, which is down 59,000 tonnes (24.6%) from 2011.
Of the seven material categories that comprised the highest amount of waste recycled or reused, plastic wastes showed the largest increase (up 3,000 tonnes, 4.2%) followed by textiles (an increase of 2,000 tonnes, 19.0%).
The largest reductions were glass (a decrease of 10,000 tonnes, 8.1%) followed by construction and soils (a decrease of 9,000 tonnes, 8.6%).
WASTE FROM ALL SOURCES LANDFILLED AND INCINERATED IN SCOTLAND 2022
Also published today were statistics providing the details of waste landfilled and incinerated in Scotland for calendar year 2022. The corresponding data set for all waste generated and recycled in Scotland during 2022 will be published in March 2024.
Total waste landfilled in Scotland
The total quantity of waste landfilled in Scotland in 2022 was 2.4 million tonnes, a decrease of 631,000 tonnes (21.0%) from 2021. This continues a long-term trend, with a reduction of 4.7 million tonnes (66.4%) since 2005, and is the lowest annual amount on record of waste landfilled since then.
Most of the decrease was due to a reduction in sorting residues (down 311,000 tonnes or 32.2%) and soils (down 274,000 tonnes or 29.5%). The reduction follows an increase in the landfilling of these wastes in 2021, due to a resumption of economic activity in Scotland following extended lockdowns and other restrictions due to Covid-19.
The amount of biodegradable municipal disposed to landfill in 2022 was 707,000 tonnes, a decrease of 174,000 tonnes (19.8%) from 2021 and a reduction of 1.3 million tonnes (65.3%) since 2005.
The total quantity of waste incinerated in Scotland in 2022 was 1.42 million tonnes, an increase of 67,000 tonnes (4.9%) from 2021. Sorting residues made up over a third (34.7%) of this (492,000 tonnes, up 42,000 tonnes – 9.4%).
Over one third (36.4%) of waste incinerated was incinerated by recovery. This follows the accreditation of an additional two municipal waste incineration facilities to the R1 efficiency standard in 2022, bringing the total number of accredited facilities in Scotland to three.
David Harley, Interim Chief Officer, Circular Economy, said: “Scotland is ambitious for a more circular economy where fewer resources are disposed of and much more are re-used and recycled, creating a range of environmental, economic and societal benefits. We’ve all got a role to play, from the making choices about the resources we use, to how we re-use and recycle – and what we dispose of.
“At SEPA we’re working closely with Scottish Government, Zero Waste Scotland and Scottish councils to help improve recyclate quality and support Scottish waste infrastructure – these statistics are an important measure of Scotland’s progress towards a circular economy.”
Local government organisation COSLA has welcomed the statistics, claiming it as ‘another success story for Local Government’.
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT FAILS TO IMPROVE HOUSEHOLD RECYCLING RATES, says FoE
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH SCOTLAND: HOUSEHOLD RECYCLING RATES STAGNATE, AS SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT FAILS TO ACT
Waste statistics published today (17 October) show that household recycling levels in Scotland remain stagnant at 43%, with only a 0.3% increase from 2021 to 2022. The amount of waste generated by households has fallen by just 7% in 10 years.
The Scottish Government’s commitment for 70% of all waste to be recycled by 2025 is likely to be missed. At the current rate of progress, household waste will take nearly 100 years to reach 70% recycling. In Wales, recycling rates increased from 45% in 2010-11 to over 65% in 2020-21.
Environmental campaigners have said progress is happening too slowly, and that focus must be put on reducing waste as well as recycling it.
In terms of cutting carbon, it is more important to reduce the total amount of waste than recycling. Not creating waste in the first place means less production and less waste that needs to be dealt with. However, household waste is also not being reduced at the rate that’s needed, having only fallen from 2.6 million tonnes in 2012 to 2.3 million tonnes in 2022.
The figures also show that, for the first time, more household waste is being sent to incineration than landfill. Incinerators contribute to climate change by emitting greenhouse gases from the waste they burn. They also make it more difficult to ensure potentially recyclable material is not wasted instead. Research by Zero Waste Scotland has shown that 60% of residual waste from household bins of could have been recycled.
The Scottish Government introduced the Circular Economy Bill to the Scottish Parliament earlier this year. It aims to create a circular economy in Scotland, where materials are properly valued and cycled around our economy for as long as possible by reducing consumption, and sharing and repairing, as well as recycling.
Kim Pratt, Circular Economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “The continued failure of the Scottish Government to improve recycling rates shows that real action is needed to tackle our waste problem.
“The Circular Economy Bill is an opportunity to change the way we use materials in Scotland, but at the moment it’s not strong enough to make a significant impact. It needs to include targets to reduce our consumption. The Scottish Government must be bold and decisive to create the change needed to meet the threat of climate breakdown.
“Recycling is incredibly important for the planet, but moving to a circular economy means more than that. Strong consumption targets would mean policies to encourage producers to make products last for longer, ensure they are easy to repair, choose lower carbon materials, and to shift consumption patterns away from carbon intensive goods and services.”
Wellbeing Economy Secretary Neil Gray has visited a company whose commitment to fair work and sustainability helped it survive the pandemic.
While at ACS Clothing near Glasgow, Mr Gray heard how a major creditor was so impressed with the business’s approach to fair work and environmental practices it agreed to convert a debt to equity – investing enough to ensure the firm could continue through the pandemic.
Then in the later stages of COVID 19, an ethical investor became aware of ACS’s reputation and also took a stake.
Now the sustainable fashion company is expanding to take on 20 new apprentices – four graduates and 16 modern apprentices across textile care and its warehouse operations.
Mr Gray said: “ACS Clothing is proof that fair work and sustainability make sound business sense.
“This imaginative and successful company captures what a wellbeing economy is all about – supporting a transition to net zero while practicing fair work principles such as paying the real Living Wage, listening to its workforce and offering apprenticeships and internships.
“In return its staff are incentivised, employee turnover is reduced and investors are increasingly attracted by its ethics and ethos.”
ACS Clothing’s Chief Operating Officer Anthony Burns said: “At the start of the pandemic, we faced significant financial strain, as suppliers demanded payment and customers halted orders, leading to a bleak outlook.
“However, our investment in circular business models, and our positive environmental and social impacts, were rewarded when Circularity Capital, a well-known Scottish ethical investment firm, invested significantly in our business.
“At ACS our commitment to fair work is not just a choice, but a responsibility we owe to our communities.
“It is the unwavering dedication to create environments where dignity, equality, and justice thrive, ensuring that every individual’s efforts are valued and rewarded without bias or exploitation.”
Cutting waste, increasing recycling and protecting the natural environment. These are some of the suggested benefits of a circular economy, but will a new Bill help make these changes happen?
The Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill will introduce measures the Scottish Government believes will help Scotland to move towards a circular economy. The Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee wants to know if these proposals will work in practice and whether they are sufficient to achieve that goal.
According to the Scottish Government, a circular economy would not only cut waste and reduce carbon emissions, but it would increase Scotland’s self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on international supply chains.
As well as creating a circular economy strategy, the Bill also contains powers to set additional charges for single use items as well as placing new duties on households and local authorities in terms of disposal of household waste and recycling.
Now the Committee want to hear from people across Scotland about their views of the Bill and whether it really will make a difference in reducing waste in Scotland.
Committee Convener Edward Mountain MSP said:“The Bill before us has ambitions for creating a circular economy which will protect Scotland’s natural environment and help tackle the climate emergency.
“But this Bill is wide ranging and will affect individuals, businesses and communities, so it is important to hear these voices to make sure the measures which are proposed work in practice.
“Covering areas such as household waste, littering and recycling this will affect many aspects of day-to-day life. So, it is vital that as many people as possible get involved in the discussion to help strengthen our scrutiny of the detail in the Bill.”
Wester Hailes Library has been selected as one of the first in Scotland to host a ‘Lend and Mend Hub’, as part of a trailblazing pilot project helping to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.
Managed by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), Wester Hailes Library will build on its current offering to introduce a ‘Lend and Mend Hub’, giving the community free access to repair, reuse, rent and upcycle everyday items, to help keep items in use for longer, rather than them being thrown away.
Funded by The John Lewis Partnership’s £1m Circular Future Fund, the Edinburgh library will join eight other services across Scotland in developing the country’s first circular community hubs, forming a ‘network’ of sustainable ‘Lend and Mend Hubs’ across Scotland:
Aberdeen Central Library, Aberdeen
Wester Hailes Library, Edinburgh
Forfar Library, Forfar
South West Library, Inverclyde
Kilbirnie Library, Kilbirnie
Gorebridge Library, Midlothian
Orkney Library & Archive, Orkney
A K Bell Library, Perth
Girvan Library, South Ayrshire
Five of the services selected to take part in the pilot scheme were announced late last year, and work to source equipment, upgrade the space and train staff to deliver this promising project in these areas is well underway.
It is expected these public libraries – in Aberdeen, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Perth and South Ayrshire – will open their ‘Lend and Mend Hubs’ for public use early this year, with the other four services expected to open later in 2023.
Pamela Tulloch, chief executive of SLIC, said: “The ‘Lend and Mend Hub’ library project has the potential to create a real impact – especially at a time when all of Scotland’s communities are experiencing economic and environmental challenges.
“The introduction of this network will build on the important role our public libraries play, giving people access to resources they might not otherwise have to support responsible consumption and learning – with the added benefit of it being local and free.
“With all nine public library partners now selected, we can’t wait to see these local library services transform and thrive for the long-term benefit of the communities around them. And with such wide geographical spread and diverse community reach, we believe this pilot project will provide valuable learnings in promoting the urgent need to adopt a more circular way of living and help develop a long-term model for libraries to be a hub of circular economy activities.”
The projects, led by SLIC, follow a co-design approach with all service teams bringing local knowledge and expertise to the delivery to ensure each hub is tailored to community needs.
Upon completion, each hub will also introduce an education programme to support new skills development, helping to reduce inequality through equitable access to resources.
Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Val Walker said: “I am delighted that Wester Hailes Library will be leading the way on the ‘Lend and Mend Hub’ pilot scheme. I am confident that this scheme will bring great benefits to the local community as we continue to grapple with an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis.
“This scheme also does excellent work on reinforcing the circular economy and sustainability in our communities by emphasising the importance of repairing, reusing and upcycling. One of our strategic approaches and principles within our 2030 Climate Strategy is supporting a circular economy across the city.
“I look forward to seeing how this scheme progresses here in Edinburgh and across Scotland.”
A new report shows there is strong public support for targets to reduce consumption to be included in a new circular economy law in Scotland.
The Scottish Government commissioned analysis, published yesterday (30 November), shows that 86% of respondents to its consultation on proposals for the new law strongly supported ambitious targets.
A circular economy is when materials are reused and recycled as much as possible before new resources are taken from nature, as opposed to our current linear ‘take, make, dispose’ model. It is a vital step in creating the transformation needed to reduce Scotland’s impact on the climate.
Environmental campaigners have welcomed the response, which included over 1,300 individuals and many environmental organisations calling for targets.
Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “More than half of Scotland’s carbon footprint comes from imports, which is not being tackled through our current climate targets. It’s vital that the Scottish Government acts on this call for change and brings in targets that reflect our global environmental impact.
“82% of Scotland’s carbon footprint comes from the products and services we buy. The environmental and social damage caused overseas by demand for goods in Scotland is virtually invisible at the moment, which is stopping it from being addressed.
“The climate crisis and the ecological damage done by resource extraction are global issues, so we need to look at solutions that really bring down our impact. It’s fantastic to see widespread public support for this.”
The report also showed strong support for other environmentally important measures, including:
– 87% of respondents supported the creation of a new duty on the Scottish Government to publish a circular economy strategy
– 68% of individual respondents supported the creation of a public body to advise on the circular economy, with calls for this to be impartial and independent
– 86% of respondents supported a ban on the destruction of unsold durable goods
– 84% of respondents agreed that statutory recycling targets should be introduced for local authorities
– 76% of individual respondents supported trials of commercial waste zones for business recycling
Environmental campaigners say we should resist the shopping frenzy this Black Friday for the sake of the planet.
Tomorrow (Friday 25 November), retail giants like Amazon will be slashing their prices in an attempt to boost their sales – but campaigners are asking people to consider the costs to the environment before they make unnecessary purchases this year.
Surveys have shown that huge numbers of people regret the purchases that are made in the rush of the sales, and that they find it a stressful experience. Smaller retailers with more sustainable, local, personal services find they can’t compete with the artificially low prices of retail giants. Last year, 85% of independent retailers opted out of Black Friday.
Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “Changing our culture of consumption is an essential part of tackling the climate crisis. Saying no to phoney Black Friday deals is an important way in which we, as more informed consumers, can take back power.
“Big retailers pressurise people to buy more in an effort to boost their sales. This drive towards consuming more means that even more resources are extracted from nature, generating climate-wrecking emissions.
“To really tackle over-consumption, governments need to hold big business to account. The Scottish Government is bringing in a circular economy law next year which must force producers and retailers to accept responsibility for their planet destroying single-use products, and to make reuse and recycling cheaper and easier for people.”
The Scottish Government consulted on a new circular economy law earlier this year. A draft of the bill is expected in early 2023. Scotland’s material use is more than double the sustainable limit, and 82% of Scotland’s carbon footprint comes from the products and services we buy.
