Resourcing Scotland Conference Introduction by Alasdair Meldrum

Join us for a deep dive into Scotland’s waste management landscape, as presented by Alasdair Meldrum at the Resource in Scotland Conference on November 14th. This session explores Scotland’s waste production, recycling metrics, and opportunities for improvement within the industry.

 

Key Points:

  • Waste Production Overview: Scotland produces around 10 million tonnes of waste annually—roughly two tonnes per person. Major contributors are construction and demolition (4–5 million tonnes), commercial waste (just above 3 million tonnes), and household waste (about 2.5 million tonnes).
  • Current Recycling Practices and Discrepancies: Although reported recycling figures suggest a 62.3% rate, actual recycling, based on definitions, stands closer to 30%. Materials like paper, plastics, and metal are often only packaged and exported, not fully recycled in Scotland.
  • Data Quality Concerns: Alasdair highlights issues with data accuracy in reporting, questioning whether Scotland is genuinely capturing the value in waste materials. Efforts to improve data quality, initiated in 2017, appear to have lost momentum, leaving significant room for better tracking and reporting.
  • Household Waste Insights: Contamination levels in recycling bins are high, with an estimated 18% of material being non-recyclable or non-target material. Actual doorstep recycling sits below 30%, despite national efforts suggesting a higher rate. The financial impact of this contamination results in a £130 million annual disposal cost that could be reduced to £40 million through improved recycling habits.
  • The Way Forward: There’s a clear opportunity for Scotland to improve both the quality and handling of recyclable materials, with substantial potential benefits in cost savings, environmental impact, and job creation within the waste sector.

Final Thoughts:

This presentation underscores the need for better public engagement in waste separation, refined data collection, and industry cooperation to realise Scotland’s recycling potential fully.

 

For more insights, watch the full presentation with slides on our YouTube channel or listen to the audio on Rubbish Talk or your preferred Podcast Platform. Follow us on social media for updates and future discussions.

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