Scottish Government Draft Circular Economy Strategy
Argyll and Bute Council · 18 December 2025
Back to Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee — 18 December 2025 and its agenda
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE 18th DECEMBER 2025 SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT DRAFT CIRCULAR ECONOMY STRATEGY 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This report provides details on the consultation by Scottish Government setting out the rationale and benefits of a more circular economy within the wider economic framework and describes its overall vision to 2045. “By 2045 Scotland will be a net zero and nature positive nation helped directly by the significant progress in transitioning towards a circular economy.” 1.2 The following is a link to the document: Draft Circular Economy Strategy - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space 1.3 The consultation document, which was published on 21st October 2025, sets out a number of questions, included within this report in Appendix A, and the deadline for responses is the 13th January 2026. 1.4 In line with the First Minister’s priorities of growing the economy and tackling climate change, there is increasing evidence that transitioning to a more circular economy can drive sustainable growth, increase supply-chain resilience, create jobs and encourage innovation while tackling the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. 1.5 Scotland’s economy is part of the global system of trade and industry. Working with the other nations of the UK and drawing on developments from the EU and globally will also be vital to ensure Scotland is best placed to take advantage of the benefits a more circular economy can bring. 2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee - a) Note that the draft circular economy strategy sets out the rationale and benefits of a more circular economy within the wider economic framework and describes the Scottish Government’s overall vision to 2045 and the outcomes that they are working towards.
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b) Approve delegated powers to the Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure to approve the final Council response to the Scottish Government Draft Circular Economy Strategy, in consultation with the Policy Lead for Roads, Transport and Amenity Services. 3.0 DETAIL 3.1 The draft circular economy strategy sets out the rationale and benefits of a more circular economy within the wider economic framework and describes the Scottish Government’s overall vision to 2045 and the outcomes that they are working towards. 3.2 A circular economy drives sustainable growth, competitiveness, innovation and jobs, and is vital to achieving our climate and environmental goals. 3.3 A circular economy benefits individual businesses by increasing efficiency, reducing costs, improving resilience to commodity price fluctuations, and responding to consumer demand. It strengthens communities by providing local employment opportunities, skills development and lower cost options to access the goods we need. 3.4 It is also fundamental to tackling climate change and other global challenges like biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution, by decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources. Such a shift requires systemic change, where economic growth goes hand-in-hand with sustainable resource management. 3.5 Developing a circular economy requires coordinated action across multiple policy areas, as systemic change is fundamental to the transition. 3.6 The request for delegated powers is due to the limited time available to complete the response. 4.0 CONCLUSION 4.1 The Scottish Government has recently published a draft strategy document setting out the rationale and benefits of a more circular economy within the wider economic framework. 4.2 Officers will formulate a response to the draft strategy in consultation with the Policy Lead for Roads, Transport and Amenity Services. 5.0 IMPLICATIONS 5.1 Policy – None. 5.2 Financial – None.
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5.3 Legal - None 5.4 HR - None 5.5 Customer Service - None 5.6 Risk - None. 5.7 Climate Change – None. 5.8 Fairer Scotland Duty – None. 5.9 Equalities - protected characteristics – None. 5.10 Consumer Duty – None. 5.11 Island Communities – None. 5.12 Children’s Rights and Wellbeing – None. Executive Director with responsibility for Development and Economic Growth, Kirsty Flanagan Policy Lead Councillor for Roads, Transport and Amenity Services, Councillor John Armour 14 November 2025 For further information contact: Andy Summers, Head of Roads and Infrastructure Andrew.Summers@argyll-bute.gov.uk APPENDICES Appendix A Scottish Government Aviation Consultation Strategy Questions
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Appendix A Scottish Government Draft Circular Economy Strategy Questions Question 1: To what extent do you agree with the vision and outcomes for the strategy? Question 2: Do you have any comments on the vision? Question 3: Do you have any comments on the outcomes? Policy Mechanisms: • Business support • Behaviour change • Place-based approaches • Procurement • Skills and education • Circular economy data • Policy alignment and systems thinking Question 4: To what extent do you agree with the policy mechanisms identified? Question 5: Do you have any comments on the policy mechanisms identified? Question 6: Do you have any comments on the associated plans and priorities? Priority Sectors: • The Built Environment • Net Zero Energy Infrastructure • Textiles • Transport • The Food System Question 7: To what extent do you agree with the priority sectors identified? Question 8: Do you have any comments on the priority sectors identified? Question 8a: Do you have any comments on the plans and priorities for the built environment? Question 8b: Do you have any comments on the plans and priorities for the Net Zero Energy Infrastructure? Question 8c: Do you have any comments on the plans and priorities for textiles? Question 8d: Do you have any comments on the plans and priorities for the transport? Question 8e: Do you have any comments on the plans and priorities for the food system?
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Question 9: Do you have any comments on the proposed approach to product stewardship? Question 10: Are there any changes or additions that you would like to suggest in relation to the Circular Economy Monitoring and Indicator Framework to ensure it is fit for purpose? Question 10a: Do you have any comments in relation to the indicators proposed for outcome “The economic value derived from material use is maximised without increasing our environmental impacts”? Question 10b: Do you have any comments in relation to the indicators proposed for outcome “The Scottish economy is more resilient to disruptions in global supply of materials, including critical raw materials”? Question 10c: Do you have any comments in relation to the indicators proposed for outcome “Business and entrepreneurs have opportunities to develop circular economy innovations”? Question 10d: Do you have any comments in relation to the indicators proposed for outcome “Non-renewable resource extraction is minimised and renewable resource use is sustainable”? Question 10e: Do you have any comments in relation to the indicators proposed for outcome “The negative environmental impact of our production, consumption and disposal is minimised”? Question 10f: Do you have any comments in relation to the indicators proposed for outcome “The negative impacts experienced internationally from production, consumption and disposal are reduced”? Question 10g: Do you have any comments in relation to the indicators proposed for outcome “People and communities engage in and benefit from circular activities in a fair and inclusive way”? Question 10h: Do you have any comments in relation to the indicators proposed for outcome “Circular behaviours are the norm across business and society”? Question 11: Please provide any further information or evidence that should be considered in the accompanying Equalities Impact Assessment. Question 12: Please provide any further information or evidence that should be considered in the accompanying Fairer Scotland Assessment. Question 13: Please provide any further information or evidence that should be considered in the accompanying Island Communities Impact Assessment. Question 14: Please provide any further information or evidence that should be considered in the accompanying Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment.
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Question 15: Please provide any further information or evidence that should be considered in the accompanying Consumer Duty Impact Assessment. Question 16: Please provide any further information or evidence that should be considered in the Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment. Question 17: Do you have any views on whether there are likely to be any positive or negative environmental impacts from the draft Environment Strategy that have not been identified in the Strategic Environmental Assessment?