Ban on dumping unsold goods part of ambitious target to end waste, Slater says

Companies could be banned from dumping unsold products that are still in good order as part of efforts to cut down on waste in Scotland, Lorna Slater has said.

The Scottish Government will consult on its new Circular Economy Bill that seeks to address public concerns about unsold products being destroyed or ending up in landfill.

Retailers would instead be forced to consider other alternatives, such as donating unsold items or recycling them.

France has recently brought in such a ban, with the European Union also considering a similar intervention.

Circular Economy Minister Ms Slater said: “It is absolutely senseless for perfectly good products to end up in landfill. Rather than being wasted in landfill or incinerated, they should be reused or repurposed.”

Ms Slater added: “We are living in a climate emergency. When goods go to landfill without having even been used once, we don’t just waste the product – we also waste all the energy and raw materials that went into making it.

“This proposal is a direct response to the public concerns about what happens to items that go unsold. By pursuing a ban, we can make sure they make it into the hands of those that need them, and help Scotland reduce its carbon footprint.

“This is the sort of action that’s needed to create a circular economy and shows the level of ambition that will be contained in our proposals in May.”

Speaking after the launch of the consultation, the Scottish Green co-leader told the PA news agency: “We want to be really ambitious, we want there to be almost no residual waste so that we’re reusing goods, we’re repairing goods, we’re encouraging businesses to design for repair.

“During the next five years, we should see a real change in the landscape of waste and litter, which will help our beaches and parks make places safer for kids to play and just make it better for everyone as well as reducing our carbon footprint.”