'ZERO WASTE in Scotland' - or else: "We're doomed, all d-oo-med, I tell thee!"

Link to Scottish Government web site

Link to summary of plan

"... Waste prevention is defined in the 'Waste Framework Directive' as measures, taken before a substance, material or product has become waste, to reduce the quantity of waste. This includes:

• the re-use of products,
• the extension of the life-span of products,
• reductions in packaging etc;
• the adverse impacts of waste on the environment and human health; and
• the content of harmful substances in materials and products."

Below is from the Q&A page. The whole strategy seems to effectively reduce current incineration, reduce 'Energy-from-Waste' except gas from organics, and avoid the creation of residual waste incinerator fuel (as proposed for Pinkham Way). It favours waste reduction instead!

Question: "The research on landfill bans identified that out of the residual waste treatment options modelled, Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) with output waste sent to landfill provided the highest net benefit to society. Doesn't this contradict Scottish Government's aspirations to reduce landfill to 5% by 2025?"

Answer: "The landfill bans research does indeed suggest that stabilised MBT outputs sent to landfill perform better in terms of short-term costs to society. However, the 'Zero Waste Plan' takes a wider, long-term view, in order to achieve a fundamental shift in how waste is viewed and managed in Scotland. 'Zero Waste' means making the most efficient use of resources, by minimising Scotland's demand on primary resources, and maximising the reuse, recycling and recovery of resources instead of treating them as waste. Disposing of any materials to landfill is wasteful, and should be avoided wherever possible."

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The reality of new-style incinerators in Scotland is maybe given by the UKWIN MAP, and references shown on there.