Business waste data
| Publication | Reporting year | When published |
| Business waste data 2021 | 2021 | June 2023 |
| Business waste data 2018 | 2018 | July 2020 |
| 2017 | May 2019 | |
| 2016 | July 2018 | |
| 2015 | Sept 2017 | |
| 2014 | ||
| 2013 | ||
| 2012 | ||
| 2011 |
The publication schedule for the business waste data is set out on our Waste data reporting page.
The above table shows calendar year summaries of waste generated by selected businesses in Scotland, including factories, utility and transport companies, shops, offices, hotels, restaurants, schools and hospitals. As there is no statutory duty for businesses to report to SEPA on the waste they generate, SEPA derives the information from statutory waste data received from operators of licensed and permitted waste management sites, and from operators of activities exempt from full waste management licensing.
Business waste data is a subset of commercial and industrial (C&I) waste data. As well as the businesses above, the C&I sector includes public sector organisations, such as local authorities, and construction and demolition (C&D) companies. Waste from the C&I sector is important because it is comprises about 80% of the total waste generated in Scotland. C&D waste is usually reported separately as it comprises 40-50% of the total waste generated in Scotland.
SEPA and the Scottish Government need C&I waste data for reporting to Europe under the European Union Waste Statistics Regulations, for producing Scotland’s Waste Data Discover tools, and to inform Scotland's Making Things Last – A Circular Economy Strategy for Scotland.