Scottish Labour has slammed the SNP-Green government’s environmental record as figures reveal recycling targets were missed across South Scotland and thousands of tonnes of rubbish was still being sent to landfill in 2021.

According to the Scottish Government’s most recent figures, every local council area in South Scotland fell short of the Government’s target of 60 per cent of waste being recycled each year by 2020, with some still falling short of the 2013 target of 50 per cent.

Scottish Labour’s Net Zero Spokesperson and South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth warned that local councils were being failed by the Scottish Government’s cuts to funding and their lack of leadership on environmental issues, which has seen Scotland-wide recycling rates slump to a pitiful 42.7 per cent.

This is the latest in a series of environmental embarrassments for the SNP-Green government, including a stark warning from the Climate Change Committee that their statutory climate targets were at risk of becoming “meaningless” after they missed 7 out of 11 legally-binding targets.

Scottish Labour’s Spokesperson on Net Zero and South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth said, “These dismal figures lay bare the reality behind the SNP-Green government’s hollow environmental rhetoric.

“They claim to recognise the scale of the climate emergency, but missed targets and broken promises pile up around us.

“Recycling rates are stuck well below targets because the Scottish Government continue to starve councils of the funding they need for basic services such as this.

“The SNP-Green government’s spin won’t cut it – we need bold action to boost recycling rates in and build a greener, fairer Scotland.”