Scotland to dump 100 truckloads of waste in England a DAY amid incinerator shortage
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SCOTLAND is set to dump up to 100 truckloads of waste a day in England due to a shortage of incinerators, it has emerged.
SNP chiefs have been ridiculed after it came to light that rubbish will have to be shipped down south after an imminent ban on 'black bag' refuse being sent to landfill.
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Around 100 truckloads of waste from Scotland will be dumped in England amid a shortage of incinerators
Credit: Alamy
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Non-recyclable black bag waste will be banned from landfill in Scotland from December 31
Credit: Alamy
The Scottish Government hasn't got enough incinerators in place to cope with demand - despite the new rules already being delayed for more than four years.
Scottish Conservative shadow net zero and energy secretary Douglas Lumsden: 'Shipping this amount of waste every single day down to England will undoubtedly harm Scotland's economy and nationalist politicians would be frothing at the mouth if the reverse was true.'
Scottish Labour net zero spokeswoman Sarah Boyack said: 'This farcical policy speaks volumes about the SNP's sticking-plaster approach to government.
"Once again the SNP has set ambitious targets and completely messed up the delivery.'
Scottish Lib Dem climate emergency spokesperson Liam McArthur said: 'Carrying lorry loads of rubbish to be landfilled just beyond Berwick is even worse for the environment than landfilling it here due to the emissions generated by these journeys.
'If this was happening in reverse, the SNP would be up in arms.'
The Scottish Government's new ban - kicking in from December 31 - covers biodegradable municipal waste and will apply to virtually all domestic and commercial waste.
But BBC Scotland's Disclosure show was told a lack of incinerators - Scotland currently has eight - means a 'capacity gap' estimated to be around 600,000 tonnes in the first year of the ban.
And some Scots councils and waste companies have approached rubbish firm operators in England about 'bridging contracts", which it's feared could be in place for several years.
Waste expert David Balmer, from ERS Remediation, said: 'You're looking at the equivalent of between 80 and 100 trucks minimum running seven days a week to take this material to a facility in England or abroad.'
Grim video shows piles of rubbish bags dumped in Glasgow housing estate after bin collections scrapped for six weeks
But Alasdair Meldrum, director of waste management consultants Albion Environmental, said: 'We've probably not got the trucks and vehicles to actually move it.'
The ban was meant to be in place from 2021 but was one of a number of policies delayed due to the pandemic and fears that businesses weren't ready.
It will apply to non-recyclable black bag municipal waste, as well as materials like wood, textiles, paper and food, which breaks down to produce methane greenhouse gas.
Climate Action and Energy Secretary Gillian Martin said: 'The reason for the incineration gap is due to outside factors, particularly inflation and the cost of initially building them.
'We've got plans for more incinerators, with energy from waste schemes, to come on in the next year, and over the next three years - so it is a temporary situation.'
Scotland's recycling rates have barely shifted in the past decade.
In 2013, homes recycled 41.6 per cent of waste but by 2023 that figure had only risen to 43.5 per cent.
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