Landfill Drops Below 45% In Fife

For the first time ever, the amount of waste being sent to landfill in Scotland has dropped below 50%.

In Fife, that figure is less than 44%.

Nearly 2.5m tonnes of household waste was generated last year - that is a drop of 18-percent. Scottish government targets are for just 5-percent of rubbish to be landfilled by 2025.

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said: "For the first time, Scotland has sent less than half of its household waste to landfill - a significant milestone as we journey to becoming a zero waste nation. In 2007, almost two thirds of Scotland’s household waste ended up in landfill so today’s figures are great news for the environment and highlight the progress being made.

"The 12 of Scotland’s 32 councils that have met or exceeded 50 per cent recycling, and those that have substantially improved their performance, are to be congratulated. They have set a benchmark and other authorities must now follow that lead.

"The Household Recycling Charter the Scottish Government is working with local authorities to develop should help achieve this. Bringing in consistent practices across Scotland should also make it easier and less confusing for people to recycle potentially valuable materials including paper, card, glass, plastics and food waste.

"We are also consulting on how best to make the most of valuable materials by creating a more circular economy."