Agriculture, fishing and forestry wastes

SEPA has produced data on agricultural, fishing and forestry waste arisings in Scotland:

A description of these wastes and the methodology used to report them is given below.

Agricultural Wastes

In January 2005, agricultural waste became controlled waste in Scotland under the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2005.  This waste is classed as commercial and is defined as waste from premises used for agriculture.

Typical examples of these wastes include packaging, silage plastics, redundant machinery, tyres, netwrap, oils, batteries, fencing, building materials, scrap metal, unused pesticides and veterinary medicines, horticultural plastics, and spent sheep dip.

Further information on agricultural waste can be found in SEPA’s Guide to Agricultural Waste which is available in the related items.

Quantities of waste generated by the agricultural sector in Scotland have been estimated using the Agricultural Waste Estimates Model developed for the Environment Agency.  Data from the Scottish Agricultural Census were used to produce estimates of waste arisings from farms based on parameters such as crop and livestock production.

Fish waste arisings from commercial sea and freshwater fish farms (aquaculture) in Scotland are also classed as agricultural waste under the Regulations.  Quantities of these wastes were determined from fish mortality data.  No estimates are currently available for the quantity of non-fish waste from fish farms.

Fishing wastes

Wastes produced by the sea-fishing sector include non-fish wastes from fishing vessels.  These wastes arise at ports and include materials such as broken nets, packaging waste and waste oils.  Generally, oil waste is collected separately and the remainder is collected as mixed waste.  

A model, using data supplied by the Northern Ireland Fishery Harbour Authority, was used to calculate the quantity of non-fish waste collected at ports in Scotland based on waste produced per tonne of fish landed from the UK fleet.

Fish discards and fish processing waste from sea fishing operations are generally disposed of at sea and are not reported here as they are not brought ashore and therefore do not arise as waste.

Forestry wastes

Typical wastes produced by the forestry sector are oil, batteries, chemicals, metal, packaging and general mixed wastes.  Plant material left in situ in the forest is not reported here.

Estimated waste arisings from Forestry Commission land have been provided by the Forestry Commission. These data have been extrapolated to provide estimates for all forests in Scotland.