Waste Reprocessing Infrastructure in Scotland

9th August 2025

A report on the waste reprocessing infrastructure in Scotland in accordance with section 23 of the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024.

Material reprocessing is a cornerstone of Scotland's transition to a circular economy.

Converting waste materials into valuable new resources at their end of life opens up new economic opportunities, and underpins our transition to net zero.

As we face a more uncertain world, with volatile global supply chains and an increased demand for critical raw materials, there is an even more pressing need to retain the value of our resources. Our objective is to manage and process as much as possible here in Scotland, taking responsibility for reducing emissions and waste, preventing the loss of local economic opportunities, and fostering a resilient, resource-efficient economy.

This report sets out how fifteen key material streams are currently managed in Scotland, and our existing and planned reprocessing infrastructure to transform these materials for future use.

The report fulfils a requirement of the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 and provides a basis for ongoing sector engagement and future policy, including the development of a Circular Economy Strategy and engagement with other governments of the UK.

Scotland generated 9.55 million tonnes of waste in 2023, a reduction of around 20% since 2011, of which 86% was managed in Scotland[1]. However, despite a significant increase in our overall material recycling from 52.5% in 2011 to 62.2% in 2023, over 98% of Scotland's material use still stems from virgin sources[2].

Across the 15 material streams considered in this report, 169 licensed reprocessing facilities treated Scottish-origin waste on site. These facilities span a range of technologies and geographies, with the majority concentrated in the central belt where there is a greater supply of inputs and good transport and supporting infrastructure. An additional 14 facilities are in the planning pipeline, covering organic, aluminium, tyres, and electronic waste.

However, this report highlights that our domestic reprocessing capability and infrastructure varies substantially depending on material type. Scotland has significant domestic capacity for organic waste, building materials, glass, and wood, with almost all these material streams processed in Scotland. Yet for plastics, metals, paper and card, and textiles, the majority of material arisings are managed by export, primarily in the rest of the UK or the EU. For other materials, including organic wastes and plastics, a large proportion is also lost in residual waste rather than being captured for reprocessing. Looking further ahead, there are likely to be strategic reprocessing needs for critical raw materials and battery reprocessing as our transition to net zero accelerates, alongside an opportunity to become a leader in wind infrastructure reprocessing once decommissioning of the first generation of turbines commences at scale.

The Scottish Government has set out our existing and planned policies to drive the transition to a circular economy in the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map to 2030, including those that support domestic material reprocessing infrastructure. Key policies are summarised in this report, focusing on three dimensions. These seek to support a stable supply of materials for reprocessing, stimulate demand for reprocessed materials and products, and support investment in material reprocessing, including the associated planning and infrastructure requirements and potential financial seeding for emerging technologies.

While the majority of reprocessing infrastructure investment is led by the private sector, the Scottish Government has also invested over £1 billion to support recycling and reprocessing infrastructure since 2016, including our £70m Recycling Improvement Fund. Most recently we have made £25 million available through the Grangemouth Just Transition Fund, alongside £200 million from the UK Government's National Wealth Fund, to support opportunities arising from Project Willow at the Grangemouth refinery site, with materials reprocessing forming a key component of the project sets identified. This is critical, not just for securing the industrial future of the area, but in promoting Scotland's place as a leader in new reprocessing technologies.

Significant barriers for the reprocessing sector remain. High energy costs, market volatility, competition from imported virgin material, and insecure access to material inputs are identified as common barriers for domestic investment. Taken together, the ongoing disposal and export of valuable resources represents a loss of economic potential in Scotland, and more can be done to support the sector. We set out six priorities for further engagement and policy development, noting that in some cases action is dependent on powers reserved to the UK Government. These are supporting strategic capability for critical raw materials, batteries and wind reprocessing infrastructure, continuing to drive a stable supply of materials and divert resources from landfill and incineration, facilitating business access to material streams, driving demand for reprocessed materials and ensuring a level playing field against imports, targeting EU alignment, and improving waste data. Any action must be underpinned by ongoing sector engagement to build deeper insights into the barriers and opportunities for material reprocessing in Scotland and help ensure that our circular economy is built for growth, creates green jobs, and underpins supply chain resilience and security.

Read the full report HERE