Moray has the highest waste recycling rates in Scotland – but councillors are calling for even greater effort to increase the current 58% of refuse that does not end up at landfill sites.
A report this week to the economic development and infrastructure services committee said that more than half of all household waste in the region still goes to landfill.
The region sends 27,000 tonnes of domestic and commercial waste to the Dalachy site at Spey Bay each year – costing local taxpayers £1.8million each year. However, that can be greatly reduced according to a feasibility study carried out by Albion Environmental Ltd on behalf of the local authority.
[box] “The council therefore needs to find an alternative to landfill for its residual waste by the end of 2020.”[/box]
“The recycling system currently provided by Moray Council is so comprehensive that a further 56% of the residual waste could potentially be diverted and recycled,” the report said.
While Moray is performing better than any other Scottish local authority the council is still required to meet a series of national targets on waste management over the next ten years.
The target by 2020 is to recycle 60% of all waste and divert all biodegradable waste away from landfall – but by just five years later a maximum of just 5% of all waste will be allowed to go to landfill.
“The council therefore needs to find an alternative to landfill for its residual waste by the end of 2020,” councillors were told, with the report adding: “Officers have continued to meet their counterparts in Highland, Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City with a view to identifying and progressing any joint opportunities for residual waste treatment.”
Councillors agreed to continue a campaign of promoting existing recycling services and opportunities in an attempt to persuade people to recycle even more of the waste generated by households and businesses.