McArthur: SNP must explain why it is using England as 'dumping ground'

Scottish Liberal Democrat climate emergency spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP has urged Ministers to come clean following reports that 100 truckloads of waste will be moved each day to England once a landfill ban comes into effect at the end of the year.

Since 2019, Mr McArthur has repeatedly pressed the Scottish Government on what it plans to do with all the excess waste arising from a ban on biodegradable waste in landfill.

This ban will come into force at the end of the year in Scotland and will apply to virtually all domestic and commercial waste.

Green MSP and former Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater previously indicated to Mr McArthur that “export” could be an option for residual waste.

BBC Disclosure has now uncovered that up to 100 truckloads of Scotland’s waste will be moved each day to England once the ban is introduced.

Mr McArthur said:

“Scottish Liberal Democrats have repeatedly warned that the SNP are planning to make England their dumping ground for waste.

“Ministers have turned a blind eye to those warnings, with Green MSP and former Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater seemingly entirely comfortable with the prospect, despite the harmful environmental impact of such a policy.

“Carrying lorryloads of rubbish to be landfilled just beyond Berwick is even worse for the environment than landfilling it here due to the emissions generated by these journeys.

“If this was happening in reverse, the SNP would be up in arms. Ministers must urgently update parliament and explain what steps it is taking to prepare local authorities for the upcoming ban.”