Zero Waste Scotland’s (ZWS) latest Carbon Metric report reveals that the top five most carbon-intensive materials wasted in Scotland accounted for only 46 per cent of all household waste tonnage, whilst comprising 83 per cent of the country's total carbon impact.
Textile waste topped the report, with findings revealing that the material accounted for 32 per cent of Scotland’s carbon impact in 2020, despite making up only four per cent of waste by weight.
Paper and cardboard wastes, metallic wastes (mixed ferrous and non-ferrous), plastic wastes, and animal and mixed food waste were also listed within the top five, with the latter accounting for 30 per cent of Scotland’s carbon impact.
The carbon impact of waste from Scottish households rose by 3.2 per cent compared to the previous year, from 5.6 to 5.84 million tonnes CO2 equivalent, with ZWS attributing this to the Covid-19 lockdowns, which saw more people staying at home and recycling centres temporarily closed.
Despite this year-on-year increase, ZWS notes, the carbon impact of Scotland’s waste in 2020 remains below the baseline level set in 2011 (6.76 million tonnes CO2 equivalent) by 13.6 per cent.
The Scottish Carbon Metric report analyses the carbon impact of waste, measuring the whole-life impact of the country’s waste, from resource extraction and manufacturing emissions to waste management emissions, ‘regardless of where in the world these impacts occur.’ This approach, ZWS states, can assist Scotland, and countries around the world, in ‘effectively combatting climate change.’
Iain Gulland, Chief Executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “The first year of the pandemic saw us all having to change our way of living almost overnight – this included working from home to a rise in online shopping, which of course resulted in a spike in household waste.
“This has contributed to an increase in our own individual carbon footprint. Every person in Scotland is responsible for 18.4 tonnes of materials every year and it is these products and materials which make up around 80 per cent of Scotland’s carbon footprint.
“I commend the brilliant efforts by households to reuse and recycle, when possible, but Zero Waste Scotland believes the solution lies in the step before this. If we are serious about ending our contribution to the climate crisis we must live within our means and reduce our consumption in the first place – there is no time to waste.”
Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater added: "Every material that is wasted comes at a cost to our planet, but it’s clear that textiles are having a disproportionate impact. That’s why we are establishing an innovation fund to support initiatives that could help Scotland tackle textile pollution and throw-away culture.
“We want Scotland to have an economy where materials remain in use for as long as possible. This won’t just reduce Scotland's carbon footprint, it will also provide economic opportunities in re-use and remanufacturing. To help deliver this agenda, I am currently preparing plans for an ambitious Circular Economy Bill that will be published for consultation in due course.”
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