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Sustainable development route maps: Session 6

These route maps highlight the journey we are on across key areas of sustainable development within the Scottish Parliament.

Circular Economy and Waste

A circular economy favours activities that preserve value in the form of energy, labour, and materials. This means designing for durability, reuse and recycling to keep materials circulating in the economy. Follow our journey towards “circular economy thinking” and removing waste from our operations.

  • Completed
  • In progress
  • Not started yet
2021 2021
  • Review office waste and recycling systems to ensure the right bins for the right recycling streams are in the right locations throughout the building. This encourages the most amount of segregation of recycling streams.

    • includes removing non-recycling waste infrastructure

  • Reintroduce disposable cup charge for hot beverages  

2022 2022
  • Identify opportunities to adopt a circular economy approach in the procurement process 

    • Circular Economy Researcher student placement. Garima Singh created online training video and staff events with the Edinburgh Remakery

  • Promote re-useable food takeaway packaging 

    • carried on into 2023

  • Review IT reuse and disposal processes

  • Review and further develop a circular economy approach for IT equipment

  • First circular economy training session for purchasing managers and contract managers 

2023 2023
  • Review proposed Deposit Return Scheme to see how Parliament can take part or contribute to it

    • The Deposit Return Scheme has now been delayed until October 2025. This Parliament will revisit this work during early 2025

  • Sustainable Development Procurement Manager to review suppliers and contracts to identify priority areas to work on and areas of best practice

  • Review options for phasing out single-use plastic such as plastic drinks bottles

  • Establish a target and plan to reduce single-use stationery items (such as envelopes)

  • Second circular economy training session for purchasing managers and contract managers 

2024 2024
  • Develop a programme to phase out disposable food packaging

2025 2025
  • Cut food waste by a third from 2021 (in line with Scottish Government targets) 

  • Prepare designs for furniture that can be easily taken apart and repaired for election-planning purposes