| I will try to
deal with all the issues that have been raised in the limited amount of
time that I have. If I cannot deal with everything, I will be happy
to write to members individually about their concerns,
including constituency
issues.
It is perhaps
inevitable that the debate has moved from consideration of the specific
content of the proposed technical amendments to the Landfill (Scotland)
Regulations 2003 towards consideration of landfill in general. That
is probably as it should be. I welcome the support that members of all
parties have
expressed for the amendments. The whole purpose of the regulations that
we introduced in the first session was to tighten up and better regulate
existing landfill sites.
On Linda Fabiani's
point about old landfill sites, sites that were closed before the creation
of SEPA remain the responsibility of the relevant local authority, but
SEPA retains and exercises its monitoring powers in relation to any environmental
threat that is posed by those sites. Those powers apply to the broad spectrum
of environmental threats, including those that old landfill sites could
pose.
I was interested
in Alex Johnstone's point about incineration. I want to reassure him that
incineration, or energy from waste, is towards the bottom of the waste
hierarchy as outlined in the national waste management plan. Recovery,
recycling and reuse are all preferred to, and are better
environmental
options than, incineration.
Phil Gallie:
Is there a massive energy deficit there? All
the processes that the minister referred to consume energy. Is that not
wasteful in itself?
Allan Wilson:
The national waste plan acknowledges that
producing energy from waste is part of an integrated approach to the management
of waste. It also acknowledges that conventional techniques involving the
incineration of unsorted waste are not particularly popular, as Alex Johnstone
said. Although the benefits that such methods provide are limited,
in that they do not encourage recycling or reuse, we expect that up to
14 per cent of all municipal waste would be better utilised for energy
recovery. We aim to meet that target by 2020. Incineration and energy from
waste have a part to play in the way in which we manage waste and reduce
our reliance on landfill. That is an important consideration.
Mr Home Robertson:
Will the minister acknowledge the enormous
progress that has been made at the cement works at Dunbar, which now burns
all Scotland's waste car tyres? Their shipment and use as fuel in the cement
manufacture process offers tremendous environmental advantages in reducing
landfill waste, using
energy potential and reducing emissions into the atmosphere.
Allan Wilson:
I am pleased to acknowledge the contribution
that such schemes-in Dunbar and throughout the country-make to reducing
our reliance on landfill. Reuse, recycling and energy from waste schemes
can all make an important contribution.
Robin Harper:
What happens if the Executive's waste minimisation
and reuse strategies are successful? Do we then start diverting waste that
could be reused to incinerators just because we have built the incinerators?
Allan Wilson:
No. The point about energy from waste and
incineration is that it is the least environmentally friendly option. We
prefer reuse and recycling to incineration, so we will direct all our energies
into sorting waste at source and-because I believe that there is a market
solution to the
problem-into
creating markets for the recycled products, as John Home Robertson mentioned.
It is too easy
to ridicule the idea of separation of waste at source-I accept Maureen
Macmillan's point about how separation has been ridiculed in the past.
However, I believe that those days are at an end. The public are becoming
increasingly aware that many councils are using the strategic waste fund's
considerable resources to improve the separate collection of waste streams.
That is real progress and considerable resources are being allocated to
local funds to improve recycling. Funds are being earmarked for precisely
the type of sorting facilities that Mr Harper recommends.
Richard Lochhead
made an interesting point about composting. We are aware of the issue and
we will be proposing further amendments to the waste-licensing regime early
in the new parliamentary session. That will address Richard Lochhead's
point about the European regime.
I apologise
for the fact that I have not covered every point that has been raised,
but I undertake to get back to members on outstanding issues after the
debate. I whole-heartedly commend the new regulations to the chamber.
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