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Scottish households could be fined for putting rubbish in wrong bin under new law

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Scottish households could be fined for putting rubbish in wrong bin under new law

Scottish households could be fined for putting their rubbish in the wrong bin under a newly approved legislation.

The Circular Economy Bill, which was passed on Wednesday (June 26), aims to modernise Scotland’s waste management procedures to “tackle the climate emergency and the biodiversity crisis”. The bill, which will impact both homeowners and businesses, gives ministers the power to increase refuse and recycling rates.




Homeowners could be hit hardest though, with local authorities able to give fines for those who fail to breach existing duties of care under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, in relation to the transfer of waste. These duties include ensuring that waste includes no unauthorised or harmful deposit, which includes recycling bins contaminated by non-recyclable materials, reports the Record.

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The measures are aimed at reducing the contamination of recycling bins which often leads to the contents being disposed of at landfill. Other duties include following the correct treatment or disposal of rubbish, to prevent the escape of the waste from their control or that of any other person and to ensure waste is only transferred to authorities bodies.

This could mean that if households were caught putting things like plastic into your food waste bins, or nappies into recycling bins, you could be slapped with a fine. Existing legislation already applies to commercial outlets and previously did not affect owners of domestic properties.

Mounds of rubbish dumped underneath the M8 motorway.

Other measures include clampdowns on littering, fly tipping and introducing charges for single-use items. It is not confirmed when the approved legislation will come into force.

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