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SEPA publishes Waste Data Digest 9

EXT01 – B02

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has published its ninth annual Waste Data Digest.

SEPA has produced an annual Waste Data Digest since 2001 which deals with data collected by SEPA on controlled waste in Scotland, providing SEPA's customers with an informative and succinct overview of Scotland's waste management over recent years.

The digest consists of two parts: the key facts and trends booklet contains tables, graphs and text dealing with high-level trends and the on-line data tables presenting detailed annual data. The documents present information on waste arisings, recovery, disposal and incineration, and includes data on municipal, commercial and industrial wastes. The latest data reported covers the calendar year 2007.

Some of the key findings contained in the report include:

• The average Scottish household produced 1,220 kilograms of waste in the financial year 2007/08, a slight decrease over the previous year. Of this, 398 kg were recycled and 822 kg were disposed of.
• The quantity of controlled waste produced in Scotland was 20.69 million tonnes in 2007. Of the waste produced construction and demolition waste accounted for 45.7%, commercial and industrial waste 39.8% and household waste 14.5%.
• Waste managed by local authorities has remained reasonably stable over the last four years with 3.41 million tonnes handled in both 2004/05 and 2007/08. The Scottish Government's target of zero growth in municipal waste by 2010 appears likely to be achieved.
• The quantity of controlled waste landfilled in Scotland in 2007 was to 7.37 million tonnes, a slight increase on the previous year.  Of this 2.32 million tonnes were biodegradable waste.
• In 2007/08 Scottish local authorities landfilled 1.37 million tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste, meeting the 2007/08 target of landfilling less than 1.44 million tonnes on BMW set by the Scottish Government.

Bill Proctor, SEPA's Environmental Data Unit Manager, said: "Accurate, up-to-date waste management data is required to aid policy development, to monitor policy change, to monitor regulatory activity and to support the National Waste Plan. It is also important that the information is made available as widely as possible. The Waste Data Digest serves as a main way of achieving this."

The new publication is available on SEPA's website at www.sepa.org.uk/waste/waste_data/waste_data_digest.aspx  along with the all previous digests.

Ends