Scotland’s material consumption footprint is “unsustainably high”, according to a report published by Zero Waste Scotland today (23 June).
The report reveals that the average Scot consumes 18.4 tonnes per year
The report, called the Scottish Material Flow Accounts (MFA), revealed that the average Scot consumes around 18.4 tonnes of materials every year.
According to academics, a sustainable level of material use which would still allow for “a high quality of life”, would be around eight tonnes per person per year.
Hailed as an ‘insightful game-changer’, the report is the first time that Scotland’s material consumer footprint has been measured.
‘Unsustainably high’
Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “What the MFA tell us is that consumption in Scotland is unsustainably high. This is, in part, due to the quantity of things we buy. We need a system wide change that enables us all to choose more sustainable ways to live, use the things we need and share resources.”
‘Inextricable relationship’
The analysis by Zero Waste Scotland quantifies the materials extracted from Scotland’s natural environment every year, as well as those which are imported, exported, and wasted.
The government body said that the evidence of the Scottish MFA shows there is an “inextricable relationship” between what Scotland consumes and its global climate impact.
‘Negative impacts’
Kimberley Pratt, Zero Waste Scotland environmental analyst and report author, added: “It is also due to the amounts of materials it takes to extract raw materials and manufacture new products. These processes are resource-intensive, but those costs are not obvious when we look only at the finished product. For example, 25 tonnes of iron ore must be mined to produce one tonne of iron which the average Scot might consume as steel in products such as the buildings we live and work in, cars and electrical appliances.
“This highlights the negative environmental impacts of our production processes and consumption habits which favour using new goods made from virgin materials rather than re-used or repaired goods, or goods made from recycled materials or from remanufacturing.”
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Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
