The Scottish government has placed a temporary pause on new and current incineration applications, while a review is conducted on the impact of existing incineration plants and what role incineration should play in Scotland’s future waste policy.
Where food waste is collected as part of household waste, continuation of incineration practices will result in excess greenhouse gas emissions as well as discarding of the nutrients in food waste that could be converted via composting into a valuable resource for soil health. Incineration of plastics will also increase greenhouse gas emissions and undermine the Scottish Government’s commitment to create a circular economy. Reducing plastic waste at source or recycling it would save more energy, by reducing the need to extract fossil fuel and process it into new plastic.
To contribute your views, visit the consultation website or you can be part of Friends of the Earth Scotland’s campaign here.