A new cross-sector coalition led by Scottish Environment LINK has made a call for a Strong Circular Economy Bill.

The coalition is made up of 30 organisations, including Friends of the Earth Scotland, Scottish Wildlife Trust, UNISON, Oxfam, Wellbeing Economy Alliance, Binn Group, and Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC).

In their 2016 manifesto, the SNP committed to bring forward a Circular Economy Bill in the current parliamentary term. This new coalition is calling for the Bill to include targets for reducing our consumption of resources in order to help address climate change, biodiversity loss and our inequitable consumption of planetary resources.

Over 80% of Scotland's carbon footprint is from emissions embedded in goods we use and consume, such as food, furniture, computers and vehicles; and 90% of global biodiversity loss is caused by resource extraction and processing.  

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Scotland's commitment to global responsibility also points to the need to move towards a more circular economy. We are using approximately three times our share of planetary resources to produce the goods Scottish citizens use and consume and absorb all the waste we produce.

Jennifer Smart, Business Relationship Manager at CSIC said: "The construction and built environment sector is the biggest user of materials, the biggest producer of waste and is responsible for over 50% of embodied carbon emissions. More than any other industry it is essential that the way we design, build, operate and decommission buildings becomes more sustainable to support the governments targets of net zero carbon by 2045."

Matthew Crighton (LINK's Economics Group Convenor) also said: "The aim of the coalition is simple, we want a strong and ambitious Circular Economy Bill and if the Scottish Government is serious about climate change then it must be included in the forthcoming Programme for Government.

"We urgently need to change the way we make and use products and services, using less raw materials and optimising the use of materials in the economy to reduce our demand on the planet's resources."

Examples of circular economy can already be seen in Scotland including the Remanufacturing Institute; JawBrew which is using leftover bread to produce beer; repair focused social enterprises such as the Remakery; and EGG lighting.

(MH/JG)