Neil Gray, the Holyrood representative for Airdrie and Shotts, has welcomed the launch of a consultation to help tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis by supporting Scotland’s transition to a zero waste and circular economy.
The measures, designed to significantly increase reuse and recycling rates, and modernise and improve waste and recycling services across Lanarkshire, are set out in two consultations – on a Circular Economy Bill and a waste route map.
Key proposals include:
Banning the destruction of unsold goods to ensure that products never end up landfilled or incinerated when they could be used or recycled.
Improving household recycling and reuse services and consulting on separate kerbside collection of textiles by 2025.
Introducing new reporting to show where recycling goes once it has been collected.
Measures to reduce the consumption of problematic single-use items and promote reuse of products.
New powers to tackle littering from vehicles.
A mandatory requirement for businesses to report surplus and waste figures for goods such as food and textiles.
Powers to set local recycling targets, reflecting the success of Wales, which has the one of the highest household recycling rates in the world.
Scotland’s circular economy targets, outlined in the Scottish Government’s climate change plan, include ending the landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste by 2025, reducing the percentage of all waste sent to landfill to five per cent by 2025, and recycling 70 per cent of all waste by 2025.
Mr Gray said: “So many people have great ideas as to how to reduce waste and help with the transition to a zero waste economy and this consultation will give them the chance to put those ideas forward to the people making the decisions.
”I would urge everyone in Airdrie and Shotts to fill out the consultation as we all have a part to play in making Scotland a greener, less wasteful nation.”
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