'Perfect storm' could lead to rubbish piling up on Scotland's streets, experts warn
Experts warn that Scotland faces an imminent waste crisis due to a combination of shrinking landfill capacity and the prolonged breakdown of Glasgow's main incinerator. The situation has left waste operators with few options, raising fears that uncollected rubbish may begin to pile up on the streets. Although the government is working with stakeholders to find contingency arrangements, industry representatives state there is no obvious short-term solution to the capacity gap.
- ▪Landfill capacity in Scotland has dropped from ten major sites to just three, with one currently in administration.
- ▪Glasgow's Polmadie incinerator has been out of action since April due to welding cracks and is not expected to resume operations until next March.
- ▪The Mount Vernon landfill site, which is currently processing 5,000 tonnes of waste per week, is estimated to be full by the end of the year.
- ▪A ban on sending black bag waste to landfill was delayed until January 2028 after reports indicated it would require transporting 100 lorry loads of waste to England daily.
- ▪Zero Waste Scotland reported that most existing incinerators are operating well below their maximum capacity, suggesting the capacity gap may have been miscalculated.
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| Publication time | Wed, 23 Sep 2026 21:53:39 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-23T21:54:35.151Z |
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'Perfect storm' could lead to rubbish piling up on Scotland's streets, experts warnImage caption, The large landfill site at Mount Vernon, Glasgow, has just a few weeks of 'void' space leftByKevin KeaneScotland environment, energy and rural affairs correspondentPublishedJust nowScotland's waste sector is on the verge of a crisis which could see rubbish piling up on the streets, experts have warned.They say the combination of significantly reduced landfill space and a breakdown of Glasgow's main incinerator have created a "perfect storm" which could see waste left uncollected.Industry representatives are due to meet ministers to discuss their concerns but say there's no obvious short-term solution to avoid the crisis.The Scottish government said was working with stakeholders to maintain…
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