Scottish household recycling rate falls to 42.8% as incineration rises

Scotland's recycling rates fall to lowest level in five years

Environmental regulator Sepa says households recycled 42.8% of waste in 2025 - down from 44.3% the previous year.

Scottish household recycling rate falls to 42.8% as incineration rises

SEPA figures show Scotland’s household recycling rate fell by 1.5 percentage points in 2025, while incineration increased and the amount sent to landfill continued to decline. Scotland’s household recycling rate fell from 44.3% to 42.8% in 2025, according to official statistics published by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). Scottish households generated 2.31 million tonnes of waste during the year, 1,500 tonnes—or 0.1%—less than…