Dr Richard Dixon: Call for concerted action

Friends of the Earth said Scotland risks becoming an international laughing stock unless targets are set.

FoE head of research, Dr Richard Dixon, said: "Even at the current rate of improvement it would take until the year 2037 to reach the government's original target for the year 2000 and we remain firmly at the bottom of the European league on recycling.

"The government must set a target and provide resources to reach at least 30% recycling and composting by 2010 or Scotland will become a joke, not just in Europe, but even in comparison with the rest of the UK."

The figures show seven Scottish councils recycled more than 10% of waste - up from six last year.

Crucial crossroads

They were Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Orkney, Perth and Kinross, Scottish Borders and Shetland.

But 14 councils recycled less than 5% of waste and 14 dropped backwards in the last year.

Dr Dixon said: "Scotland is at a crucial crossroads on waste.

"We will either decide to get good at reducing waste, recycling and composting, or we will burden future generations with the pollution and poor recycling which go with incineration."

Iain Gulland, of the Community Recycling Network Scotland, said: "The key to more successful recycling schemes is educating all the major players involved and practically involving communities in projects."