The circular economy was worth £7.1bn in Scotland in 2021, according to fresh research.
A report by Zero Waste Scotland found that activities involving the reuse and recycling of materials represented 4 per cent of the country’s GDP that year.
This compared to about 2.9 per cent of GDP in Ireland, and just 1 per cent in the Netherlands, according to the study.
It added that more than 81,000 Scottish jobs existed because of the circular economy.
“Scotland’s transition to a circular economy is both an environmental necessity and a strategic economic opportunity,” said the report.
It added that the figures “highlight the economic importance of circular economy activities in Scotland today, as well as the significant scope to grow circular economic activity in future”.
Zero Waste Scotland also proposed methods for more accurately estimating the value of the sector in future.
A think tank last month warned that circular-economy policy had been “more ambitious and progressive” in the EU than the UK since Brexit.
