Scotland landfilled 27% of its waste in 2020, the highest rate in the UK.
As councils prepare for the delayed landfill ban of biodegradable waste to come in from 2025, many have begun to make strides in moving away from landfill.
The Perth & Kinross tender was launched last week (16 March) and says the council is seeking a contractor to treat and dispose of residual municipal and bulky waste in a “responsible and compliant manner”, which excludes landfilling, from 1 January 2026.
Currently, the Conservative-controlled authority sends 43% (33,000 tonnes) of its waste to various landfill sites across the region.
The new contract is due to begin on 1 January 2026 and is anticipated to cover a period of 10 years with the option to extend it by a further five.
Recently, Highland council awarded a £58 million contract to send residual waste to Viridor’s Dunbar plant (see letsrecycle.com story), and, in 2019, Aberdeenshire, Moray, and Aberdeen councils signed a £371 million contract with Acciona to build and operate a facility in Aberdeen.
Operators
According to the Scottish government, there are six operational municipal waste EfW plants in the country.
Two of these are owned by Viridor in Dunbar and Glasgow, while the others are operated by FCC, Levenseat, MVV, and Shetland council.
Perth & Kinross also approved a £70 million EfW plant to be operated at the at Binn Eco Park near Perth.
French-based specialist company TIRU has been commissioned to build and operate the facility set to be operational in 2024.
Scotland
Data from the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) published in December 2021 shows that country sends 27.2% of its waste to landfill.
This compares to 7.8% in England, 24% in Northern Ireland and 4.9% in Wales, making Scotland the highest in the UK.
As councils begin to move away from landfill, the Scottish government is undertaking a “review of incineration” in the country, with a moratorium on new plants in place.
The review is being undertaken by Dr Colin Church, the former chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management (CIWM).
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