Biodegradable municipal waste landfill ban
Legislation context
The Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 set out a number of provisions which help Scotland move toward the objectives and targets set out in the Scotland’s Zero Waste Plan and help transition toward a circular economy. These provisions include a ban on biodegradable municipal waste going to landfill from the 31 December 2025 which is implemented by amending the Landfill (Scotland) Regulations 2003. The purpose of this ban is to:
- reduce waste landfilled by directing residual waste to alternative treatment;
- extract remaining resource value from the residual waste stream;
- reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfilling biodegradable waste.
To help all stakeholders prepare for the ban, SEPA, in collaboration with industry and local authority representatives have produced a guidance document on Biodegradable Municipal Waste landfill ban. The guidance helps stakeholders understand what is classed as biodegradable municipal waste, how to decide if your waste is biodegradable municipal waste, what treatment options are available and how the ban will be implemented.
Other sources of information
If you have any questions or enquiries regarding the ban, please contact us.