Scotland to Take Ownership of Separate Landfill Tax
17 September 2012 - Under new provisions outlined this year by the collation Government, Scotland has now been granted control of its own landfill tax levels.
The bill having been officially made legal after receiving Royal assent in May, it entails The Scottish Government launching a consultation into setting its own levels of landfill tax before the end of the year, with overall control of the tax in place by 2015.
A statement on the Scottish Government’s website said: “Landfill Tax is a cornerstone of Scotland’s Zero Waste Plan, encouraging the prevention, reuse and recycling of waste and helping keep valuable resources circulating in the Scottish economy. The Landfill Tax Bill will create a tax on the landfilling of waste, replacing the current UK system in 2015."
The Scottish Parliament have approved a set of Waste Regulations, which describe Scotland’s future waste and recycling targets. These include steps to reach a 70% recycling rate by 2025 rather than diverting it to landfill.
Proposals to give Scotland the power to create a statutory framework to control its own landfill tax first began in 2010. Opponents however claim this could affect the ‘level playing field’ for waste management companies in the UK as it would encourage unscrupulous traders to exploit price differences across the border.