RECYCLING and RECOVERY PERFORMANCE REPORT
Argyll and Bute Council · 10 September 2025
Back to Oban Lorn & The Isles Area Committee — 10 September 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL OBAN, LORN AND THE ISLES AREA COMMITTEE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES 10 SEPTEMBER 2025 RECYCLING AND RECOVERY PERFORMANCE 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 Argyll and Bute Council is both a waste collection and waste disposal authority. 1.2 Waste disposal is dealt with by 3 separate models across the council as follows: • Island sites e.g. on Mull and Islay where landfill sites are operated directly by the council; • Helensburgh and Lomond area where waste is disposed of at sites outside of Argyll and Bute; • A 25 year (2001 – 2026) Waste PPP contract which covers the rest of Argyll and Bute. 1.3 Waste figures for these 3 waste disposal areas have been summarised within this report. Due to the way the reporting is carried out it is not possible to accurately break down the information on an administrative area by area basis for all data. 1.4 National policy decisions, guidance and regulations e.g. relating to the Biodegradable Municipal Waste landfill ban will have a significant impact on future recycling, composting and recovery performance. 1.5 It is recommended that Members note and give consideration to the details as outlined in this report and the national policy drivers that will likely impact over the coming years.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL OBAN, LORN AND THE ISLES AREA COMMITTEE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES 10 SEPTEMBER 2025 RECYCLING AND RECOVERY PERFORMANCE 2.0 INTRODUCTION 2.1 Argyll and Bute Council is both a waste collection and waste disposal authority. Recycling, composting and recovery (i.e. other landfill diversion) statistics are reported quarterly within the council’s performance management system. Statutory returns to SEPA e.g. licensed site tonnage, landfill tax and waste data flow vary from quarterly to annual. 2.2 This report provides details on the council’s recycling and recovery landfill diversion performance along with national policy, targets and regulations which are likely to impact on future performance. 3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 It is recommended that Members note and give consideration to the details as outlined in this report and the national policy drivers that will likely impact over the coming years. 4.0 DETAILS 4.1 The council’s waste strategy was approved by the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee in September 2019. Whilst this strategy will emerge in line with government guidance, regulation, legislation, and contractual requirements, the Strategy is predicated on the model shown below in Figure 1.
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4.2 Argyll and Bute Council operates a performance management system. Quarterly recycling/composting, recovery and landfill percentages are included split between the Islands waste disposal sites, Waste Management PPP and Helensburgh/Lomond areas. These details include: • percentage of waste recycled and composted; • percentage of waste recovered e.g. other landfill diversion; • combined percentage of waste recycled, composted and recovered; • percentage of waste to landfill; • tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste to landfill. Percentages Summary of Landfill, Recycling, Composting and Recovery 2023 and 2024 2023 2024 Argyll & Bute wide % of waste recycled, composted and recovered 53.0% 69.8% % waste recycled and composted 43.3% 42.3% % waste recovered 9.7% 27.5% % waste landfilled 47.0% 30.2% Tonnes of municipal waste to landfill 30,872 18,791 Waste PPP % of waste recycled, composted and 61.2% 59.6%
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recovered % waste recycled and composted 46.0% 42.2% % waste recovered 15.2% 17.4% % waste landfilled 38.8% 40.4% Helensburgh & Lomond % of waste recycled, composted and recovered 39.5% 100% % waste recycled and composted 39.3% 44.1% % waste recovered 0.2% 55.9% % waste landfilled 60.5% 0% Islands % of waste recycled, composted and recovered 36.3% 48.5% % waste recycled and composted 36.3% 38.0% % waste recovered 0% 10.5 % % waste landfilled 63.7% 51.5% 4.3 Some points to note are as follows: • There was a slight overall reduction in recycling performance in 2024 which was mainly due to a significant amount of stockpiled soils and rubble tonnages being recycled by Biffa from the PPP area in 2023 compared to lower stockpiles of such materials in 2024. • There was a significant overall increase in recovery performance in 2024 compared to 2023. This was mainly due to the fact that all the general residual waste from the Helensburgh and Lomond area in 2024 went for refuse derived fuel (RDF) / energy from waste (EFW) whereas in 2023 this had all been sent to landfill. • The increase in recovery performance was also partly due to Tiree and Coll’s general residual waste going for refuse derived fuel (RDF) / energy from waste (EFW) using the same contractors as used for Helensburgh and Lomond. • The overall combined recycled, composted and recovery rate increased from 53% in 2023 to 69.8% in 2024. This is mainly due to the increased recovery in the Helensburgh and Lomond area described in the second bullet point above.
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• The recovery in the Waste PPP area is carried out by Biffa mainly through residual waste mechanical biological treatment plants based at their waste facilities near Oban, Dunoon and Lochgilphead. In 2024 Biffa sent some residual bulky waste items i.e. waste upholstered domestic seating (WUDS) to an energy from waste (EFW) plant as required by SEPA’s statutory guidance. Waste sent for energy from waste is also classed as recovery. • The recovery in the Helensburgh and Lomond area was carried out via new waste disposal contracts with waste contractors from the Renfrewshire area i.e. Enva (Linwood) and J&M Murdoch (Paisley) following the closure of the Barr Environmental Landfill at Auchencarroch, near Alexandria. Since January 2024, Helensburgh and Lomond’s general waste has been going for refuse derived fuel (RDF)/energy from waste instead of landfill which has seen a significant increase in recovery tonnages for 2024. • Cardboard is consistently the most prominent recycling material in the blue recycling bin (previously paper which was the highest proportion pre pandemic). The on-going significant cardboard proportion in recent years is likely due to significant levels of on-line purchasing while newspapers are not as widely purchased in hard copy compared to previous years. • The overall percentage of waste to landfill in 2024 (30.2%) was a significantly lower percentage than 2023 (40.7%) which was mainly due to the much increased recovery levels in the Helensburgh and Lomond area. • The tonnage of municipal waste to landfill, in 2024 decreased as a result from 30,872 tonnes in 2023 to 18,791 tonnes in 2024. • Recycling and composting is mainly from recycling collections to households and businesses, bring sites and segregated wastes from recycling/civic amenity sites. Recovery is predominantly moisture/process loss and compost like output from mixed waste treatment plants operated by Biffa and refuse derived fuel (RDF) / energy from waste (EFW) from Helensburgh and Lomond’s general waste. In addition there was also recovery from waste upholstered domestic seating (WUDS) items as they have to be sent for high temperature incineration in line with SEPA guidance, which was introduced in October 2023. • SEPA published annual recycling, recovery and landfill data for local authorities focuses mainly on recycling/composting from household waste and less on recovery in line with the waste hierarchy. Landfill Ban 4.4 The Waste (Scotland) Regulations were introduced by the Scottish Government in 2012 and included a landfill ban of biodegradable municipal waste initially from 2021.
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4.5 The landfill ban was subsequently delayed by The Scottish Government until the 1st of January 2026. An update report on the Landfill Ban was included in the June 2025 Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee. Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) 4.6 The UK Government have indicated a planned start date of October 2027 for a UK wide deposit return scheme, however the Welsh Government have indicated that they will not take part in the UK wide scheme as it does not include glass and they intend to introduce their own scheme. 4.7 A UK wide DRS scheme may result in an overall increase in recycling including other environmental benefits e.g. current non-recyclers may use the scheme plus there should be much less littering of such items. The scheme may however see a slight reduction in Council recycling performance if plastic drinks bottles and cans are no longer handled by Council recycling collections, albeit they should still be recycled in future via the UK wide DRS scheme. Scottish Government Circular Economy Bill 4.8 The Scottish Government in 2024 published details of its Circular Economy Bill which was subsequently passed by the Scottish Parliament. Further details on the Circular Economy Bill have been and will be reported at future ED&I Committees as they progress. Some of the main proposals which relate to local authorities recycling are as follows: • A Duty of Care on households regarding their waste and recycling with new powers given to local authorities for the issuing of fixed penalties to enforce this. • Local Authorities will be required to comply with a statutory code of practice on recycling. This co-design process involves Local Authorities and the statutory code of practice is expected to be published by The Scottish Government sometime during 2026. • The Scottish Government will have the powers to set mandatory recycling targets on Local Authorities from 2030 onwards. 5.0 CONCLUSION 5.1 Progress was made on overall recycling, composting and recovery performance during 2024. Recovery performance increased which resulted in significantly reduced tonnages to landfill in 2024. National Policy drivers such as the upcoming ban on municipal waste to landfill, the deposit return scheme and the circular economy bill will have significant implications for future recycling, composting and recovery performance. 6.0 IMPLICATIONS
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6.1 Policy National policies and regulations will likely impact on future recycling, composting and recovery performance. The council’s policy is to reduce landfill. 6.2 Financial Compliance with the landfill ban from end of 2025 has financial implications for the Council. An update report was included in the June 25 ED&I Committee. 6.3 Legal The landfill ban is a legal requirement under the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012. Other legal requirements may likely result following The Scottish Government Circular Economy Bill e.g. statutory code of practice for recycling. 6.4 HR None known 6.5 Customer Service None known. 6.6 Risk Risks to the council on the landfill ban and any other future statutory requirements are mainly financial. A future UK wide deposit return scheme for plastic drinks containers and cans will hopefully have an overall environmental benefit although it may impact on council recycling rates. 6.7 Climate Change The landfill ban will significantly reduce methane gas emissions from landfill sites in Argyll and Bute. Additional transport miles incurred taking waste to energy from waste markets will partly offset the carbon reductions achieved through not landfilling. 6.8 Fairer Scotland Duty None known. 6.9 Equalities: Protected Characteristics None known. 6.10 Customer Duty None known. 6.11 Island Communities The landfill ban will require increased transport of waste off the islands of Mull and Islay to the central belt. 6.12 Children’s Rights and Wellbeing None known.
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Executive Director with Responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services: Kirsty Flanagan Head of Roads and Infrastructure Services: Andy Summers Policy Lead for Roads, Transport and Amenity Services: Councillor John Armour For further information contact: John Blake – Fleet, Waste & Transport Manager John.Blake@argyll-bute.gov.uk