This blog, by our Circular Economy Policy Officer Becky Kenton-Lake, accompanies the Post-election Member Webinar we held on 26th May. Watch the recording and find out more about the event here.
On 7th May people in Scotland went to the polls to elect MSPs that will make up the Scottish Parliament and form a new government from 2026-2031. The key headlines from the election results were:
- The SNP won the most seats (58) and so form the next government and enter their third decade in power. However, this is with a reduced number of MSPs and vote share since the last election. They don’t have enough MSPs to pass legislation on their own (65 is needed for this), so will need to work with other parties to do this.
- Labour is down 4 MSPs since the last election, with 17 elected, making them the joint second biggest party with Reform.
- Reform’s only MSP in the last session was the result of a defection from the Conservatives, and they now have 17 – all elected via the regional list vote.
- The Conservatives returned a lower number of MSPs since the last election, reducing by 19 to 12.
- The Lib Dems and Greens both more than doubled their number of MSPs – Lib Dems from 4 to 10, and Greens from 7 to 15.
What did parties pledge to do on circular economy before the election and what does this mean for how we engage with them?
The manifestos that parties published before the election give a helpful indication of their priorities regarding the circular economy, reuse and Scotland’s third sector. Here is a summary of the content relating to circular economy:
- The Scottish Green Party
The Scottish Green Party manifesto contained a series of strong pledges on circular economy. These included some of the policy priorities we had been promoting in the lead up to the election, like a repair voucher scheme and reuse targets. - The Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats manifesto recognised the connection with circular economy and addressed the cost of living. - The Scottish National Party
The SNP manifesto failed to mention circular economy, however, now they are back in government they will need to deliver the Circular Economy Act and related policies. The First Minister continues to include environment in his list of top 5 priorities. - The Labour Party
The Labour manifesto pledged to help businesses partner with charities to reduce the destruction of unsold goods. - Reform
Reform’s manifesto pledged to scrap the 2045 net zero climate target, which helps to drive action on circular economy. - The Conservative Party
The Conservative manifesto also don’t mention circular economy.
Our Approach
Circular Communities Scotland is apolitical and works with all parties to advance our agenda. However, some parties will be more supportive of circular economy policies than others.
In this new Government, the SNP does not have enough MSPs to form a majority, which means cross-party working will be required in order to pass legislation. Circular Communities Scotland is committed to demonstrating the power and impact of our sector to help advocate for our Reuse Manifesto asks and other circular policies. We will engage with MSPs from each party, taking into consideration the priorities in their manifestos, any roles they have within their party, and interests and issues locally.
Whilst it’s disappointing that we no longer have consensus on climate action across the parliament, as seen by Reform and the Conservative parties’ policies, levels of public support remain high.
What happened on circular economy in the last session of parliament and what can we expect over the next few years?
Overall, we have not seen quick enough or meaningful enough progress since the Scottish Government first committed to transition to a circular economy back in 2016.
In the last session of parliament there was some progress made, with the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act passed in 2024 with cross party support. However, while this is welcome it was framework legislation, so didn’t contain lots of detail or action within the Act itself but provided enabling powers. These included the power to set circular economy targets, for a strategy to be written, and route maps for priority sectors to be published.
That means this session of parliament brings significant opportunities for action and delivering the transition to a more circular economy.
Other progress made in the last session of parliament includes the introduction of bans on certain single use items. With the Internal Market Act restricting what devolved nations can lead on around these types of measures, such as seen through the failed Scottish Deposit Return Scheme, these were all coordinated across the 4 nations, and we are likely to see this continue for things like Extended Producer Responsibility Schemes – which could lead to delays.
Looking ahead, the new EU Circular Economy Act is due soon, and this could bring opportunities if Scotland decides to align with developments here.
The Scottish Parliament Information Centre has published this helpful overview of the circular economy policy landscape and areas where progress could be made over the next few years.
What can we do to help ensure progress is made over the next 5 years?
1. Go to MSPs with a very clear ask, backed up by strong data
Circular economy cuts across environmental, social and economic policy, and would help to address the number 1 issue reported by voters and prioritised by most parties – cost of living. Therefore, our sector should be of interest to decision makers, and we will work to ensure MSPs understand these connections, how action would help address some of the systemic issues we are facing, and know exactly what we want them to do.
Stay tuned for updates to our Reuse Manifesto, coming soon.
2. Host visits for MSPs at circular economy organisations
Nearly half of MSPs are new and they will be keen to meet people and find out what is happening in the area they represent. Circular economy organisations bring huge value to their communities, providing jobs, social spaces, benefits to the economy, and planet – it’s vital that we make sure MSPs know about this so they can speak up for the sector in parliament and bear this in mind when policy is being developed and scrutinised.
It’s also important they know about the challenges organisations are facing so they can do what they can to support these – our recent member survey highlighted challenges around cost of operating, lack of funding, and many more that put some circular economy organisations at risk.
We are writing to all MSPs to encourage visits, identifying those who we think could be champions for circular economy from the backbenches, and looking to develop stronger connections with those with relevant roles.
3. Focus on making sure existing commitments are delivered, and in a way that maximises social value
As well as new ideas, it will be important to focus on making sure the legislation and policy we already have commitments by government to deliver has the biggest impact possible and is not delayed. We have an important role as stakeholders to ensure there are no unintended consequences of policies for our sector. For example, there is a risk that extended producer responsibility schemes could reduce the social value of reuse if government prioritises partnerships with multinational companies. We need to be in the room, making our voices heard, and ensuring commitments are delivered, but also showing that this is something the wider public supports.