Scotland's Circular Economy Strategy
On 24th March 2026, the Scottish Government published a Circular Economy Strategy for Scotland.
A circular economy isn’t solely about the environment. It's about driving sustainable growth, increasing supply-chain resilience, creating jobs and encouraging innovation while also tackling the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.
Why a Circular Economy is so Important
We are facing climate and nature emergencies, driven by consumption and growing levels of waste. At the same time, geopolitical instability is increasing, and the global demand for critical raw materials continues to rise. Reducing our material consumption, lowering our reliance on virgin resources, and designing systems that keep materials circulating within the economy are essential steps in addressing the environmental crises before us.
A Circular Economy Strategy for Scotland
The Circular Economy Strategy for Scotland sets out the rationale and benefits of a more circular economy within the wider economic framework and describes an overall vision and outcomes to 2045. The outcomes are:
- Economy: Maximising economic value, security of supply chains and innovation.
- Environment: Sustainable resource use and environmental impacts.
- International: Environmental and social costs on global communities of consumption in Scotland.
- Social: Benefits to communities, fairness and behaviour change.
Published alongside the Climate Change Plan and the Environment Strategy, this reinforces the importance of our environment whilst recognising the opportunity to strengthen our economy by becoming more circular.
Policy Mechanisms
These tools ensure that circular practices aren’t just environmental add‑ons but are embedded in how the economy operates:
- Business support: Guidance, tools, and targeted support.
- Behaviour and systems change: Empowering consumers and organisations.
- Due diligence: Ensure informed decision-making.
- Place-based approaches: Tailored local solutions.
- Procurement: Embedding circularity in public sector purchasing.
- Skills and education: Reforming education to support circular jobs.
- Circular economy data: Improving data quality and availability.
- Policy alignment and systems thinking: Integrating circular principles across government.
Priority Sectors & Roadmaps
To accelerate progress, Scotland is focusing on sectors with the largest potential for reducing waste and emissions, including:
- The Built Environment
- Energy Infrastructure
- Textiles
- The Food System
- Transport (linked to the Climate Change Plan)
Zero Waste Scotland will lead the development of circular economy roadmaps for four priority sectors, working with industry and partners to identify key barriers, opportunities, and actions. Transport will be addressed through the Climate Change Plan, with continued engagement across the sector rather than a standalone roadmap.
Each roadmap will outline practical interventions to strengthen circularity whether by improving enabling conditions, removing barriers, or encouraging innovation. All roadmaps are expected to be completed within a year of the strategy’s publication, with delivery taking place over the following five years. They will be delivered by associated Mission Boards, which will include key sectoral stakeholders.
Product Stewardship
By focusing on products as well as priority sectors, the strategy aims to best address the impacts of individual material streams.
The Circular Economy Strategy sets an intention to publish a product stewardship plan in 2026 including policy development on clothing and household textiles, mattresses and furniture over the next five years.
Circular Economy Monitoring and Indicator Framework (CEMIF)
The Circular Economy Monitoring and Indicator Framework (CEMIF) attaches indicators to each of the strategy’s outcomes, to provide a high-level overview of Scotland’s progress towards a more circular economy. This is the first national-level indicator framework specifically developed for the circular economy in Scotland and will continue to be developed and improved as new or better data sources become available.
Zero Waste Scotland's CEO, Ciaran McGuigan, said:
"The publication of Scotland’s Circular Economy Strategy marks an important next step in our journey towards becoming a more resilient, circular, resource‑secure nation.
"As Scotland’s circular economy public body, we welcome the practical, tangible focus set out through this strategy. It further strengthens the foundations for collective action and delivery.
“Global risks continue to expose the fragility of traditional supply chains and it’s clearer than ever that a circular economy offers Scotland a logical, powerful route to national resilience and sustainable prosperity. Through it we can keep materials in use for as long as possible thereby reducing vulnerability, encouraging investment, strengthening local economies, and sparking place‑based innovation.
“The circular economy is no longer just an environmental ‘nice‑to‑have’. It’s essential for economic stability, environmental stewardship, and long‑term prosperity."
Webinar: Circular Economy Strategy Consultation
On 9th December 2025, Scottish Government policy leads from the Circular Economy Division, in collaboration with Zero Waste Scotland, hosted a webinar to learn more about the draft Circular Economy Strategy, how it was developed, what it aimed to achieve, and how to take part in the consultation.
Key Milestones
- The Circular Economy strategy is a requirement of the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 that was passed in parliament in 2024.
- The Circular Economy Strategy builds on actions set out in the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map which sets out 11 priority actions where efforts and resources will be concentrated to support a transition to a circular economy by 2030.
- The Circular Economy Strategy consultation ran for 12 weeks, from 21st October until 13th January, with the final strategy planned for publication in 2026.
- On 24th March 2026 'A Circular Economy Strategy for Scotland' was published alongside the Climate Change Plan and the Environment Strategy.