Business waste surveys
Business waste is the waste produced by public sector organisations and commercial and industrial companies, such as factories, utility and transport companies, shops, offices, hotels, restaurants, schools and hospitals. Data on waste from the construction and demolition sector are reported separately (see related items).
Collecting data on waste produced by businesses is important because it is a large waste stream for which little information exists. There is also a need to provide data for reporting under the European Union Waste Statistics Regulations, for SEPA’s annual Waste Data Digest and to inform Scotland's Zero Waste Plan.
In order to gather data on the wastes produced by businesses, SEPA carried out two surveys to collect this information for the years 2004 and 2006. A representative sample of businesses was surveyed using online and/or paper questionnaires.
Information provided by the Office of National Statistics was used to conduct the surveys. All commercial and industrial sectors were included, with the following exceptions:
- Agriculture, forestry and construction in both 2004 and 2006
- Fishing, mining and quarrying in 2004
After verifying the returns, the data were statistically analysed to provide estimates of the types and quantities of waste produced by all businesses in Scotland in 2004 and 2006. It has also been possible to extrapolate data for 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2010.
The data reports and supporting documents are available below.
Business waste data 2010
Business waste data 2009
Business waste data 2008
Business waste data 2007
Business waste data 2006
Business waste data 2005
Business waste data 2004