Question reference: S5W-33333
- Asked by: Peter Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 17 November 2020
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Current status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 December 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the ban on the burning of plastic waste on farms, what action it is taking to ensure that the waste that is uplifted does not end up in landfill.
Answer
The Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 ban the landfilling of plastic waste that is separately collected for recycling. This includes farm plastics. In circumstances where there are no other available options farm plastic may be sent to landfill but all efforts should be made to have it separately collected and recycled first, to avoid unnecessary landfilling of a valuable resource.
Both SEPA and Zero Waste Scotland offer support and guidance to farmers to encourage the recycling of farm plastics.
SEPA: https://www.sepa.org.uk/regulations/waste/agricultural-waste/burning-on-farm-waste/ .
Zero Waste Scotland: https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/organics/farm-plastic-recycling .