Scotland's waste management system faces "catastrophe" this Christmas, with bins potentially left overflowing as key disposal facilities are out of action or approaching capacity, an MSP has warned.
An incinerator at Polmadie in Glasgow has been out of action for months and is not expected to resume operations until March, while the city's Mount Vernon landfill site is expected to hit capacity by the end of December. Three other landfill sites across Scotland are reportedly almost full.
Warnings of overflowing bins
Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Scottish Lib Dems environment spokeswoman, has called on John Swinney to take action now or risk bins being left overflowing this Christmas.
She told the Record: "We could be only weeks from a winter waste system collapse but ministers are yet to face up to the looming catastrophe. No one wants to see bins overflowing when they are out for their Christmas walk.
"It would be desperately embarrassing for the SNP to have to beg England to take our waste because they have no alternative plan in place.
"We need a ministerial statement setting out what the plan is and some reassurance for households and businesses that they won't be left high and dry."
Incinerator breakdown and landfill pressures
The crisis has been exacerbated by the breakdown of Glasgow's main incinerator at Polmadie in April after welding cracks were identified during routine inspections. Much of the city's household waste is now being sent to a landfill site at Mount Vernon, despite its private operator having an application to expand its operations turned down.
David Balmer of Patersons, the firm running the site, previously warned Scotland would quickly run out of landfill space. "Could you see waste on the street? Absolutely," he told the BBC.
He added that councils and waste management contractors were under an obligation to collect the rubbish. "But if they can't process it further down the line, what's the easier solution?
"The easier solution is to leave in the streets at the moment, pending a solution. The problem is we can't see a solution."
Government response and landfill ban delay
Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, has since tabled a series of questions at the Scottish Parliament calling for action. In a response, the Government admitted it had not undertaken any assessment of the impact on the country's waste management system as a result of Polmadie's closure.
The statement added: "Municipal waste is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. It is for them to ensure that their waste material is appropriately processed in accordance with all applicable regulations.
"However, the Scottish Government is aware of the pressures facing parts of the waste management sector, and recognises the importance of ensuring that there is sufficient capacity and resilience to manage Scotland's waste safely and effectively."
Asked by the MSP if any residual waste will be transported to England or another part of the UK as a result, the Government said: "The Scottish Government's objective is that we take responsibility for reducing emissions and environmental impacts of our waste, and preventing the loss of economic opportunities by managing and processing - in Scotland - all waste Scotland generates.
"However, it is for waste management businesses to determine where and how to process their waste."
It comes after a ban on sending black-bag waste to landfill was delayed amid fears it could lead to 100 truckloads of rubbish having to be transported to England each day. The delay was announced by Sepa as not enough waste incinerators have been built to deal with the additional waste being diverted from landfill.
