Experts are warning that a combination of reduced landfill space and the breakdown of Glasgow's main incinerator could lead to a buildup of waste on Scotland’s streets. Industry representatives are currently meeting with government officials to discuss the situation, but no immediate solutions have been identified. The Scottish government has stated it is working with stakeholders to ensure the system remains resilient and to prepare for any necessary contingency measures. Landfill space in Scotland has been decreasing as operators scale back operations ahead of a planned ban on sending black bag waste to landfills. Originally scheduled for 2026, the ban has been postponed until January 2028. This delay followed a report that predicted 100 lorry loads of waste would need to be sent to England daily if the ban had proceeded as planned. Last year, 10 landfill sites handled most of Scotland's residual waste, but this number has now dropped to three, one of which is currently under administration. The breakdown of Glasgow's main incinerator at Polmadie, which has been out of service since April, has further complicated the situation. The facility is not expected to resume operations until next March. In the meantime, much of the city's household waste is being redirected to a landfill site at Mount Vernon. However, the operator of this site, Patersons, has stated it only has a few months of space available. The amount of waste processed there has surged from about 2,000 tonnes to 5,000 tonnes per week. An application to extend the site was denied by the Scottish government, and the operator estimates the site will be full by the end of the year. The ban on sending black bag waste to landfills was designed to encourage more recycling, with residual waste being used to generate energy through incineration. However, the expansion of new waste-to-energy facilities has been limited due to concerns about overcapacity, particularly if recycling rates increase. Recycling rates in Scotland have remained largely unchanged for over a decade, according to a recent report by Zero Waste Scotland, which noted that most incinerators are operating well below their maximum capacity. While several new waste-to-energy sites are under construction, such as the South Clyde Energy Centre, they are not expected to be operational soon enough to address the current crisis. Additionally, several waste sites in northern England, which have accepted waste from Scotland, have been shut down by the Environment Agency due to suspected illegal waste activity.