SEPA releases statistics on Scottish household waste for 2019
03 November 2020
Article: 54/4404
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has published statistics providing details of household waste collected across all Scottish local authorities during 2019. Findings include:
- The total amount of household waste generated in Scotland was 2.4 million tonnes in 2019, an increase of 17,000 tonnes (1%) from 2018.
- In 2019, the Scottish household waste recycling rate was 44.9%, a slight increase from the 44.7% rate achieved in 2018. The amount of household waste recycled between 2018 and 2019 increased by 12,000 tonnes to 1.1 million tonnes.
- The amount of Scottish household waste landfilled in 2019 was 0.76 million tonnes, a reduction of 273,000 tonnes (26%) from 2018, and a reduction of 696,000 tonnes (48%) since 2011. This is the eighth consecutive decrease in household waste landfilled, and the first time that the amount of household waste landfilled was less than one million tonnes.
- For 2019, the total amount of Scottish household waste managed by other diversion from landfill was 577,000 tonnes, an increase of 278,000 tonnes (93%) from 2018. Most of the diverted waste in 2019 was managed by incineration (79%).
Source: SEPA, 27 October 2020