Scotland to launch new environmental legislation

The Scottish government has unveiled details of new environmental legislation, which it hopes will make the country one of the best performing waste processing nations in the world.

One of the key amendments to the Zero Waste Regulations is the ban on municipal biodegradeable waste being transferred to landfill sites by 2020.

This would be the first time such measures have ever been taken in the UK.

Indeed, environment secretary Richard Lochhead labelled the reform as "one of the most ambitious of its kind in Europe, if not the world".

Bans will also be placed on recyclable material being dumped at landfill sites, while businesses across the country will be required to boost their recycling efforts.

"This is a major step forward in the Scottish government's drive towards zero waste," Mr Lochhead concluded.

The new laws will fall in line with the EU Landfill directive, which was put in place in 1999 and was designed to promote better waste management across the continent.

Posted by Joseph Hutton