Scotland’s generated household waste drops to record low
Date published: 29 October 2024
This is a policy statement and relates to the Official Statistics Publication for Scotland - household waste summary 2023, waste landfilled in Scotland 2023, and waste incinerated in Scotland 2023 statistics published at 9.30am on Tuesday 29 October 2024.
- The total amount of household waste generated in Scotland decreased by 26,000 tonnes (1.1%) from 2022. This is the lowest amount of household waste generated since the start of the current time series in 2011
- Overall household recycling rate was 43.5%, up slightly on 2022
- The amount of Scottish household waste landfilled decreased by 30.2% from 2022
- Household waste diverted from landfill but not recycled increased by 21.6% from 2022
- The carbon impact of household waste is now under 1 tonne carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per person for the first time since reporting began in 2011
Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) statisticians have today (29 October 2024) published Official Statistics providing detail of household waste collected across all Local Authorities during 2023, as well as reports on all waste landfilled and incinerated in Scotland in 2023.
Scottish household waste statistics 2023
Scottish households generated the equivalent of 0.42 tonnes of waste per person in 2023, with 0.18 tonnes recycled, 0.08 tonnes sent to landfill and 0.16 tonnes diverted away from landfill through other means, such as incineration.
The total amount of household waste generated in 2023 was 2.30 million tonnes, a decrease of 1.1% from 2022 and the lowest amount of household waste generated since the start of the current time series in 2011. Of this, 43.5% was recycled, a 0.2 percentage point increase from 2022.
Scottish household waste landfilled in 2023 was 409,000 tonnes, a decrease of 177,000 tonnes (30.2%) from 2022. This continues the long-term downward trend, with a 71.9% reduction in household waste landfilled since 2011.
The amount of household waste managed by other diversion from landfill was 894,000 tonnes, a 21.6% increase on 2022. Most of the diverted waste was managed by incineration (746,000 tonnes, 83.5%).
Waste from all sources landfilled and incinerated in Scotland 2023
Also published today were statistics providing the details of waste landfilled and incinerated in Scotland for calendar year 2023. The corresponding data set for all waste generated and recycled in Scotland during 2023 will be published in March 2025.
The total quantity of waste landfilled in Scotland in 2023 was 2.0 million tonnes, a decrease of 14.8% from 2022. This continues a long-term trend, with a reduction of 5.1 million tonnes 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 household and similar waste and soils. The reduction in household and similar wastes comes as the waste management sector is preparing for the 2025 ban of biodegradable municipal waste to landfill.
The total quantity of waste incinerated in Scotland in 2023 was 1.62 million tonnes, an increase of 15.4% from 2022. Household and similar wastes represented 33.8% of the total waste incinerated in Scotland.
Over one third of waste incinerated was in facilities that applied for and were accredited with the R1 energy efficiency criteria for incinerated by recovery, meaning wastes used principally as a fuel to generate energy.
Carbon impact of Scottish household waste
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 2023 was 5.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), which equates to 0.98 tonnes of CO2e per person.
This was a decrease of 3.2% from 2022 and represents the lowest carbon impact of household waste generated and managed since reporting began in 2011 with the introduction of the Scottish Government’s Zero Waste Plan.
Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024
The Scottish Government’s Circular Economy Act, which received Royal Assent in August 2024, establishes the legislative framework to support Scotland’s transition to a zero waste and circular economy, significantly increase reuse and recycling rates, and modernise and improve waste and recycling services.
The draft route map proposes policy initiatives with specific focus on delivering a system-wide circular economy across Scotland, accelerating sustainable use of resources and reducing emissions associated with waste and resources, and will be published later this year.
Scotland has ambitions for a circular economy where more of the materials produced and consumed in Scotland are re-used, recycled and remanufactured in Scotland, creating a range of environmental, economic and societal benefits.
Jo Zwitserlood said: "We’ve all got a role to play – the consumption of products and use of materials touches on every one of us. We’re making positive steps towards lowering the carbon impact of Scotland’s household waste and seeing lower amounts of waste generated and disposed of to landfill, which is key to addressing the environmental impact of waste management.
"At SEPA we continue to play our part in helping Scotland transition to a circular economy, working collaboratively with Scottish Government, Zero Waste Scotland, Scottish Councils, and Scotland’s reprocessing and waste management sector."
The climate crisis is the greatest long-term threat to our society and we know that people in Scotland want to do their bit to tackle it - protecting our planet for future generations.
Iain Gulland said: "When we all work together we can make a real difference, so it’s extremely welcome to see the efforts of people at home reflected in SEPA’s latest data – with household waste at its lowest level in over a decade and recycling rates continuing to climb.
"Waste reduction and recycling are integral to Scotland’s circular economy vision, and the latest data shows we’re making great progress. Let’s keep that momentum going and strive towards a more sustainable future for Scotland we can all be proud of."
Notes to Editor
- Read SEPA’s Zero Waste Plan – guidance for local authorities, published in March 2011, for further definitions of household waste and clarification of what counts and what does not count towards the recycling rate.
- Official statistics are produced by SEPA’s statisticians in accordance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. Find out more about the Code of Practice on the UK Statistics Authority website. The reports are now published in an accessible and interactive format. Find tips on how to navigate and download charts and tables from the reports.
- Read the Scottish Government’s circular economy strategy for Scotland for more information on Scotland’s commitments to the circular economy. Data on waste are collected to monitor policy effectiveness, and to support policy development.
- The figures are accurate at the time of publication, however data may be updated if further revisions are necessary. Normally these revisions will be published concurrent with the next official release.