New rules on landfill waste could cost Argyll and Bute Council hundreds of thousands, the authority has warned.
The council has repeated its request for a formal meeting with the Scottish Government to discuss a possible extension to the municipal solid waste landfill ban which is due to be implemented in January 2026.
The ban will mean that biodegradable municipal waste can no longer go to landfill and instead will need to be recovered through a process called energy from waste.
The council is currently locked in to a landfill contract, which runs until September 2026 – nine months after the ban comes into force.
The authority says that varying or terminating that contract would have ‘serious financial implications’ which could affect services such as roads and streetlighting.
It is urging the Scottish Government to delay the ban in Argyll and Bute for nine months to coincide with the existing landfill contract’s end date and avoid ‘huge financial penalties’.
Council leader Robin Currie said: “The introduction of the landfill ban will have many benefits, including a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that result from landfilling biodegradable waste.
“We are working hard to put measures in place for the introduction of the ban, along with a whole range of actions the council is taking to combat the climate emergency.
“It makes sense to synchronise the date of the ban with the end of our current landfill contract.
“If the Scottish Government fails to grant this extension, the costs to council tax payers in Argyll and Bute will be significant, and will affect other essential council services.
“I urge the Scottish Government to meet with us as soon as possible so that we can discuss our options moving forward and agree a solution that works for Argyll and Bute.”
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