The Zero Waste Plan Annex B and Regional Capacity Table December 2011.
SEPA has reviewed the shortfall in operational capacity required to meet the Zero Waste Plan targets and regulations. These tables are published as part of Annex B to Scotland's Zero Waste Plan. These latest figures are based on an improved methodology where certain waste types for which planned and constructed waste management infrastructure is not needed are no longer included in the calculations. Such waste types include soil and stones, asbestos, dredging spoil etc. This new approach should ensure that, in moving forward, Scotland's infrastructure needs are reflected as accurately as is practicably possible.
This new methodology for estimating the infrastructure capacity gap, coupled with a significant drop in the amount of waste going to landfill has resulted in a reduction in Scotland's operational capacity gap. It remains the case however that there is still a significant shortfall in capacity across Scotland for both recycling and residual waste management.
To ensure that all authorities collectively plan for waste management facilities to meet the requirements of the Zero Waste Plan the shortfall is allocated to groups of local authorities or development plan areas. However, these allocated capacities should not be treated as a limit and must only be used in conjunction with the text of Annex B. It is also acknowledged that authorities can work in a number of arrangements spatially and operationally to deliver the figures and not just in the groupings presented in the table.
These figures will be reviewed again by SEPA in Autumn 2012.
More detailed information on the methodology used to produce these tables can be found on SEPA's website.