Waste Incinerated in Scotland 2023
An Official Statistics Publication for Scotland
Published on 29th October 2024 9:30 AM
This release provides a summary of all
waste incinerated in Scotland for calendar
year 2023. It excludes Scottish waste
incinerated elsewhere. Information on the
methodology used to prepare this release and
a definition of terms is in the
incinerated
waste quality report and glossary.
Waste incinerated in Scotland – 2023 calendar year
Key points
The total quantity of waste incinerated in Scotland in 2023 was 1.62 million tonnes, an increase of 216,000 tonnes (15.4%) from 2022, and an increase of 1.21 million tonnes (296%) from 2011 (Table 1).
A total of 584,000 tonnes of waste incinerated were incinerated by recovery1, 36% of the total waste incinerated (Table 2a).
In 2023, for the first time since this record began in 2011, Household and similar wastes was the waste category most incinerated in Scotland (548,000 tonnes), which was a 190,000 tonne (53.2%) increase since 2022 (Table S1). This is likely due to changes in the waste management sector preparing for the 2025 ban of biodegradable municipal waste to landfill2.
No hazardous waste was incinerated in Scotland in 2023 (Table 4).
Summary table 2023
Trends in waste incinerated in Scotland (2011 - 2023)
In 2023, 1.62 million tonnes of waste were incinerated in Scotland across 15 permitted incineration facilities. This was an increase of 216,000 tonnes (15.4%) from 2022. This increase is consistent with the longer term incineration trend in Scotland, with 1.21 million tonnes (296%) more waste incinerated than in 2011 (Figure 1).
Household and similar wastes was the largest waste category incinerated in Scotland in 2023 (548,000 tonnes, 33.8% of the total), which was a 190,000 tonne 53.2% increase from 2022 and comprised 33.8% of all waste incinerated. This is the first time within this time series that Household and similar wastes was the highest waste category incinerated (Figure 1). It is likely that this was due to the waste management sector preparing for the 2025 ban on biodegradable municipal waste in landfills.
Sorting residues was the second largest waste category incinerated in Scotland in 2023 (507,000 tonnes, 31.2% of the total), which was a 14,300 tonnes (2.91%) increase from 2022.
In 2023, 35.9% of waste incinerated in Scotland was incinerated by co-incineration, 28.1% by disposal, and 36% was incinerated by recovery (Figure 1).
There were 0 tonnes of hazardous waste incinerated in Scotland in 2023 (Table 4). This was a decrease of 524 tonnes compared with 2022 and 12,100 tonnes since 2011 (Table 2a).
Waste incinerated in Scotland (2011 - 2023) - graphs and data
Figure - incineration
Table - incineration
Incineration methods
Figure - incineration method
Table - incineration method
Hazardous waste incinerated in Scotland (2011 - 2023) - graphs and data
Figure - hazardous incineration - Graph
Table - hazardous incineration
About incinerated waste statistics
An Official Statistics publication for Scotland
This is an Official Statistics publication. These statistics have been produced to the high professional standards defined in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics, which sets out fourteen principles under the pillars of Trustworthiness, Quality and Value. More information on the Official Statistics Code of Practice web-site.
Lead Statistician - Marie Porter, SEPA
User statement
Data on waste generation and management are collected to support policy development and monitor policy effectiveness, particularly the commitments in Making Things Last - A Circular Economy Strategy for Scotland, and Scotland’s Circular Economy and Waste Route Map to 2030. The data contribute to the UK Statistics on waste and are also used extensively by local and central government, the waste industry, researchers and the general public.
Feedback
We welcome feedback on the data from all
users including how and why the data are
used. This helps us to understand the value
of the statistics to external users. Please
see our contact details at the bottom of the
first page of this notice.
Revisions policy
SEPA provides information about any revisions made to this release and any associated datasets. Revisions could occur for various reasons, including when data from third parties are unavailable or provisional at the time of publishing or if there are subsequent methodological improvements or refinements. The figures are accurate at the time of publication. However, the data may be updated if further revisions are necessary. Normally these revisions will be published concurrent with the next release.
Revisions to the data on waste incinerated in Scotland since the last publication are shown in Table 5. The changes to Incineration by Recovery and Incineration by Disposal are primarily updates following the re-categorisation of incinerators to the R1 incineration efficiency standard. The changes co-incinerations in 2021 and 2022 are due to revised waste returns.
The revisions shown in Table 6 to non hazardous Health care and biological wastes are due to changes in the classification of pet crematoriums. When authorised under the Animal-By-Products Regulations, small scale animal carcass incineration is not “waste management” as it falls under an exclusion as part of Article 2 of the Waste Framework Directive.
Quality report
Data are taken from permitted waste site
returns submitted to SEPA.
Further information on the methodology can
be found in the accompanying
incinerated
waste quality report
Enquiries
Enquiries on this publication to: SEPA Communications Department: media@sepa.org.uk
For further contact details please see contact.
Pre-release access
Published 29 October 2024
Besides analytical staff involved in the production and quality assurance of this publication, the following post holders were given pre-release access up to 5 days before release:
Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy
Minister for Climate Action
Scottish Government Special Adviser x 1
Scottish Government Analyst x 4
Scottish Government Policy Official x 17
SEPA Communications Official x 9
SEPA Administrative Support x 9
SEPA Policy Adviser x 5
Zero Waste Scotland Communications Official x 9
Zero Waste Scotland Policy Adviser x 3
Analysits for inclusion in another publication (NAEI) x 3
Glossary of terms
Hazardous Waste – waste with hazardous properties which may render it harmful to human health or the environment. Hazardous waste is also called Special Waste in Scotland as defined in the Special Waste Regulation 1996.
Waste incinerated by co-incineration – wastes used as a fuel and incinerated at an incineration facility in which the main purpose is the generation of energy or production of material products (e.g. cement) and which uses waste as an additional fuel.
Waste incinerated by disposal - wastes incinerated at an incineration facility where the energy efficiency has not been demonstrated to meet the R1 criteria specified in the EU Waste Framework Directive (Directive 2008/98/EC).
Waste incinerated by recovery - wastes used as a fuel to generate energy and incinerated at an incineration facility where the energy efficiency has been demonstrated to meet the R1 energy efficiency criteria specified in the EU Waste Framework Directive (Directive 2008/98/EC).
Waste incinerated - Waste from all sources that is incinerated in Scotland including waste incineration by disposal and waste incineration by recovery.
Waste categories: Definitions of the waste categories used within this report can be found in section 3 of the EU waste statistics regulations
Incineration method definitions are available in the Glossary↩︎
From 2025, there is a ban on sending biodegradable municipal waste to landfill. This is enabled by provisions in the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 and implemented via Regulation 11 of the Landfill (Scotland) Regulations 2003 (as amended)↩︎