Local MSP John Lamont has said residents in the Scottish Borders are being discouraged from recycling despite increasing amounts of waste being sent to landfill in the region.
More than 60% of domestic waste is sent to landfill in the Scottish Borders, up from 53% in 2011. The Scottish Government has a target for a maximum of 5% of waste to be sent to landfill by 2025.
However, in the Scottish Borders a whole range of measures have been implemented by the SNP led council which are actively discouraging recycling. As well as the withdrawal of green bins for garden waste, fewer than a half of households have food waste bins and major towns like Jedburgh do not even have their own recycling centre.
In response, the Cabinet Secretary in charge of recycling, Roseanna Cunningham MSP incorrectly said the Scottish Borders has increased its recycling rate when in reality recycling has dropped from 46% to 37%.
Speaking afterwards, John Lamont MSP said: “The vast majority of people in the Borders I speak to understand the importance of recycling but are frustrated by how difficult the council are making it.
“The Scottish Government have this grand target of sending only 5% of waste to landfill by 2025, but as is often the case, they have no plan to deliver on this.
“In the Borders, the SNP led Council are actively discouraging recycling. By withdrawing green bins and by refusing recycling centres for major towns like Jedburgh, they are making it more difficult for residents to recycle. We can see the effect of this in the increasing amounts of waste being sent to landfill.
“As is so often the case, the Minister in charge didn’t seem interested in actually delivering on her Government’s target and just incorrectly said that recycling rates were getting better.
“Without a radical change in approach and a consistent, easy to use recycling collection system, the Borders isn’t going to get anywhere near the target for recycling.”