The aim of this strategy is to identify and deliver Scotland’s current and future waste data needs.
Waste data is essential for knowing what waste is produced in Scotland, and how and where it is managed. As Scotland moves towards a more circular economy – where products and materials are kept in high value use for as long as possible – this latest waste data strategy outlines five priority actions being taken to improve our understanding of how products and materials flow through our economy.
Updates on waste data developments, changes that are happening, success stories and events
23 May 2018
From 1 January 2021, landfill operators in Scotland will be prohibited from accepting Biodegradable Municipal Waste (BMW) for disposal at the landfill. This guidance provides information on the ban and how it will be implemented.
19 Mar 2018
To find out how much waste is produced and managed in the UK read Defra’s latest Statistics on Waste report, which includes waste data that is reported to SEPA.
08 Mar 2018
Partnership working and engagement is at the heart of the waste data strategy. Find out what happened at the first practitioner workshop.
13 Feb 2018
Tracking waste is crucial to improving waste management. To find out more read the Defra Digital blog about the current discovery work.
26 Feb 2018
Naomi Ross from SEPA explains more about what's involved once your waste is collected for recycling, the cycle of waste and how you can help improve the quality of recycled materials.
9 Oct 2017
Blog from Gillian Flint, Scientist in SEPA's Data Unit, on the launch of A strategy for improving waste data in Scotland and what it means for Scotland.
March 2018
This report presents the outcomes from the first waste data practitioners workshop that was held in Edinburgh on 24 November 2017. Over 20 different waste data practitioners from across Scotland worked in small focus groups to discuss what needs to be done to achieve the five strategy actions. The outcomes will be used to help develop an action plan to implement the Waste data strategy.
Case studies of how waste data has been used to inform the management of waste and materials and increase our understanding of the economic, environmental and social impacts of waste.
If you would like to submit a case study to this list please contact wastedatastrategy@sepa.org.uk
National waste data is regularly reported to the Scottish Government and European Union. This data, from household, commercial and industrial sources, provides information on what waste is produced in Scotland and how and where it is managed.
Extracts of this information are shown on the waste and resources page and the full data analysis is available in the Discover tools for waste from all sources, for household waste, and recyclate quality. There is also waste management site level information in the waste sites tool.
Implementation and management of the strategy is overseen by a project board which is made up of representatives from The Scottish Government, Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Zero Waste Scotland:
| Mike Berry | Senior Policy Advisor | The Scottish Government |
| John Landrock | Environment Statistician | The Scottish Government |
| Callum Blackburn | Head of Policy & Research | Zero Waste Scotland |
| Andy Dick | Policy Programme Manager | Zero Waste Scotland |
| Michael Lenaghan | Environmental Analyst | Zero Waste Scotland |
| Cindy Lee | Waste Data Strategy Manager | SEPA |
| Andrew Sullivan | Principal Policy Officer | SEPA |
| Ingrid Baber | Data Unit Manager | SEPA |
| Julie Laing | Senior Scientist (Data Unit) | SEPA |
| Gillian Flint | Scientist (Data Unit) | SEPA |
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