Zero Waste Scotland
Zero Waste Scotland is Scotland's statutory circular economy public body, funded by the Scottish Government, providing free advisory services, sector roadmaps, and proprietary analytical tools (Material Flow Accounts, SWEFT) to businesses, 32 local authorities, and citizens to accelerate the transition from a linear to a circular economy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersStirling, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Zero Waste Scotland does
Zero Waste Scotland is Scotland's statutory circular economy public body, established in 2010 and headquartered in Stirling. It operates as a non-departmental public body structured as a private company limited by guarantee (company number SC436030), funded primarily by the Scottish Government. The organisation works with government, businesses, local authorities, and citizens to transition Scotland from a linear 'take, make, waste' economic model to a circular economy. Scotland's economy currently requires 22 tonnes of materials per citizen per year — nearly three times the sustainable consumption level — and Zero Waste Scotland's mandate addresses this through advisory services, sector-specific roadmaps, and analytical tools.
The organisation's core technical assets are two proprietary analytical platforms. The Material Flow Accounts (MFA) model is an economy-wide material flow accounting system built on 291 life-cycle assessments across 98 economic sectors within Scotland's Supply-Use tables, presented through interactive Sankey diagrams. The Scottish Waste Environmental Footprint Tool (SWEFT) is a life-cycle assessment tool that measures environmental impacts of household waste across six dimensions including climate change, biodiversity loss, and water consumption. Beyond these tools, Zero Waste Scotland delivers practical toolkits such as 'Your Business is Food' for hospitality, the Revolve Reuse Knowledge Hub for the reuse sector, the Household Intervention Plan for Food Waste Reduction, carbon emissions calculators, and funding programmes including the Recycling Improvement Fund.
Zero Waste Scotland does not sell commercial products or charge for services. All guidance, toolkits, reports, and advisory services are provided free of charge to its three primary customer segments — businesses across all sectors, Scotland's 32 local authorities, and Scottish citizens. Revenue comes entirely from Scottish Government grant-in-aid, with no commercial revenue streams disclosed. The organisation highlights that circular economy activities contribute £4 billion to Scotland's GDP, support 56,000 FTE jobs (2.6% of Scottish employment), and generate £37.33 per hour in GVA versus the £32.22 Scottish average. Governance is provided by a Board of Non-executive Directors appointed by Scottish Ministers, with the executive leadership team currently led by Chief Executive Ciaran McGuigan.
Zero Waste Scotland firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Zero Waste Scotland
- Legal name
- Zero Waste Scotland Limited
- Website
- https://zerowastescotland.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Zero Waste Scotland is Scotland's statutory circular economy public body, funded by the Scottish Government, providing free advisory services, sector roadmaps, and proprietary analytical tools (Material Flow Accounts, SWEFT) to businesses, 32 local authorities, and citizens to accelerate the transition from a linear to a circular economy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Zero Waste Scotland industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Circular Economy Advisory Services
- NAICS
- Waste Management and Remediation Services (562), Administrative and Support Services (561)
- SIC
- Sanitary Services (4950), Refuse Systems (4953)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Circular Economy & Waste/Materials Reporting (Zero waste, packaging) (EUAHAJAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH), Waste Management & Hazardous Waste Compliance (RCRA, Universal Waste, Waste Characterization/Manifests) (EUAHABAC)
Keywords
Where Zero Waste Scotland is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stirling
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Zero Waste Scotland business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Government Funding: Zero Waste Scotland is a non-departmental public body funded primarily by the Scottish Government and other government bodies. Revenue comes from public funding to deliver circular economy programs, business support services, and policy initiatives.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Multi-year contract | Free public services - all services, guidance, and resources provided at no charge |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Zero Waste Scotland product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Zero Waste Scotland provides free circular economy advisory services, research, toolkits, and funding programmes to Scottish businesses, local authorities, and citizens. Its core deliverables include the Material Flow Accounts (MFA) research tool, the Scottish Waste Environmental Footprint Tool (SWEFT), the Revolve Reuse Knowledge Hub training platform, the Your Business is Food toolkit for hospitality businesses, the Household Intervention Plan for food waste reduction, and the Recycling Improvement Fund for local authorities.
Product overview
Zero Waste Scotland is Scotland's circular economy public body offering a portfolio of research tools, training platforms, toolkits, funding programs, and data visualization platforms. Core offerings include the Material Flow Accounts (MFA) platform providing interactive Sankey diagrams of Scotland's material use, the Scottish Waste Environmental Footprint Tool (SWEFT) for environmental impact assessment, the Revolve Reuse Knowledge Hub for reuse sector training, the Your Business is Food toolkit for hospitality businesses, and the Household Intervention Plan for Food Waste Reduction. The organization also provides Carbon Emissions Calculators, a Circular Business Quiz, funding programs like the Recycling Improvement Fund, and the Rewire newsletter for stakeholder communication.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Your Business is Food: A toolkit helping hospitality and food service businesses reduce food waste through a three-step process of reviewing waste, making an action plan, and keeping it going.
- Revolve
- Rewire
Products and services
- Material Flow Accounts (MFA) A tracking tool that monitors all materials flowing into, around, and out of Scotland's economy, providing evidence for circular economy prioritization and resource resilience decisions. Built on 291 life-cycle assessments covering 98 economic sectors.
- Material Flow Accounts Data and Reports Interactive data visualization platform featuring Sankey diagrams showing material flows in Scotland, with sector-level analysis of resource use and environmental impacts.
- Your Business is Food, Don't Throw It Away A three-step toolkit for hospitality and food service businesses to review, plan, and monitor food waste reduction, includes tracking sheets, calculators, and starter guides.
- Scottish Waste Environmental Footprint Tool (SWEFT) Life-cycle assessment tool measuring environmental impacts of household waste including climate change, biodiversity loss, air pollution, water consumption, mineral resource scarcity, and land use.
- Revolve Reuse Knowledge Hub One-stop-shop platform providing training, resources, case studies, and industry support to the reuse sector in Scotland, supporting reuse businesses to meet legal obligations and follow best practice.
- Carbon Emissions Calculators Tools provided to support organisations in assessing the carbon impact of their activities beyond traditional carbon footprint measurements.
- Food for Thought Infographic report bringing together research highlights on food waste, covering psychology, meal planning behaviors, and waste quantification across Scottish households.
- Household Intervention Plan for Food Waste Reduction (HHIP) Household-focused intervention plan developed with behavior change at its core, outlining realistic interventions to reduce food waste across Scottish households.
- Circular Business Quiz Self-assessment tool for businesses to evaluate their circular economy readiness and identify areas for improvement.
- Rewire Newsletter Regular email newsletter providing updates on policies, events, and innovations driving Scotland's circular economy.
- Recycling Improvement Fund Funding program for local authorities to improve recycling infrastructure and services in Scotland.
Quantifiable outcome
- Circular economy contributes £4 billion to Scotland's GDP
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Zero Waste Scotland
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Zero Waste Scotland technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Zero Waste Scotland partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Ellen MacArthur Foundation CE100coreScotland was the first country to join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's CE100 network. Zero Waste Scotland supports the Scottish Government in its CE100 membership and coordinates a network of 10 Scottish SMEs who benefit from CE100 events and resources.
- Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC)coreStrategic partnership to drive innovation and growth in Scotland's circular bioeconomy. Zero Waste Scotland works with IBioIC to identify sector-focused opportunities, support innovators, and facilitate stakeholder collaboration. Co-funded projects include whisky co-product utilisation research.
- Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC)minorPartnership to drive innovation in Scotland's circular bioeconomy through strategic collaboration in the aquaculture sector.
- Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC)minorCollaboration to promote circular economy innovation in Scotland's construction sector through research and development support.
- Oil and Gas Innovation Centre (OGIC)minorPartnership to support innovation in the energy sector's transition to circular economy practices.
- Scottish Institute for Remanufacture (SIR)coreJointly funded by Zero Waste Scotland and Funding Council, SIR was established in May 2015 at the University of Strathclyde. It is one of only four global centres of excellence for remanufacturing, accelerating the move towards circular economy through product remanufacture, reconditioning, repair and reuse.
- Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)coreCollaborative partner organisation with whom Zero Waste Scotland works to bring services and information to stakeholders. Part of a network of public sector partners.
- Scottish EnterprisecorePartner organisation for delivering services and information to businesses. Scottish Enterprise is a key economic development agency in Scotland.
- Highlands and Islands EnterpriseminorRegional economic development agency partner for delivering circular economy support services in the Highlands and Islands region.
- Business GatewayminorLocal authority-funded business support service partnerships for delivering advice and guidance to start-ups and SMEs across Scotland.
- Eunomia Environmental Research and ConsultingminorCommissioned to conduct research on circular economy principles in Scotland's Clean Heat transition, including qualitative research, stakeholder interviews, and development of behavioural systems maps.
- Scotch Whisky Research Institute (SWRI)minorIndustry research organisation providing additional support for whisky co-product circular economy research projects.
- Heriot-Watt UniversityminorProvides IBioIC FlexBio laboratory facilities used by MiAlgae, Horizon Proteins, and BioPower for circular economy bioeconomy projects.
- CelluCompminorFife-based bioeconomy company example: turns nano-fibers from root vegetable by-products into environmentally friendly thickener for various applications including paints, coatings, inks, and food.
- Argent EnergyminorMotherwell-based bioeconomy company specialising in production of sustainable biofuels and fertiliser byproducts from waste fats, oils, and greases.
- Ogilvy SpiritsminorDrinks company making more sustainable vodka from potatoes not suitable for retail, demonstrating circular bioeconomy principles.
- CuantecminorOban/Glenrothes-based company focused on extraction of chitin and chitosan from shellfish waste for use in functional film plastic packaging for food applications.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Zero Waste Scotland competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- WRAP: UK-wide non-departmental public body with an almost identical mandate to reduce waste, improve resource efficiency, and support a circular economy — operates as a direct parallel to Zero Waste Scotland at a UK rather than Scottish level.
- Circle Economy: Netherlands-headquartered circular economy organisation producing the Circularity Gap Reporting framework and Circular Jobs Index — directly comparable to Zero Waste Scotland's MFA and circular economy measurement work, though operating at a global advocacy layer.
- Green Alliance: UK independent think tank focused on environmental policy, sustainability, and circular economy advocacy — closely comparable as a UK-based policy/research/influencing peer, although not government-designated.
- Resource Futures: UK-based consultancy specialising in waste, resource management, and circular economy advisory to local authorities and businesses — comparable as a delivery-side peer to Zero Waste Scotland's Circular Economy Business Support Service.
- Eunomia Research and Consulting: Environmental consultancy that has already been commissioned by Zero Waste Scotland on circular economy research — a comparable independent consultancy peer supporting public bodies and regulators with similar evidence-based, lifecycle-focused work.
- Bioeconomy Innovation Clusters (IBioIC): Scotland's Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre is a strategic partner to Zero Waste Scotland on bioeconomy — comparable as a Scottish innovation intermediary whose agenda overlaps heavily with Zero Waste Scotland's bioeconomy sector work.
Broad incumbents
- Ellen MacArthur Foundation: Global circular economy thought leader operating the CE100 network (which Zero Waste Scotland supports) — a broader incumbent in the same thematic space, with much larger international reach and convening authority than Zero Waste Scotland.
- Anthesis Group: Global sustainability services firm delivering circular economy and resource efficiency advisory — a broader incumbent that competes for circular economy advisory mandates with organisations like Zero Waste Scotland's delivery partners.
- European Environment Agency: EU agency producing economy-wide environmental and material flow data — broadly comparable as a publicly-mandated data and reporting body whose circular economy indicators parallel Zero Waste Scotland's MFA and SWEFT outputs.
Emerging players
- UK Green Building Council: UK industry body for sustainable built environment — directly comparable in role to Zero Waste Scotland's new Circular Built Environment Mission Board, but operating at UK rather than Scottish level.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Zero Waste Scotland social profiles
Digital presenceZero Waste Scotland financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Zero Waste Scotland leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Zero Waste Scotland funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Zero Waste Scotland M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments5 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Zero Waste Scotland
What does Zero Waste Scotland do?
Zero Waste Scotland provides free circular economy advisory services, research, toolkits, and funding programmes to Scottish businesses, local authorities, and citizens. Its core deliverables include the Material Flow Accounts (MFA) research tool, the Scottish Waste Environmental Footprint Tool (SWEFT), the Revolve Reuse Knowledge Hub training platform, the Your Business is Food toolkit for hospitality businesses, the Household Intervention Plan for food waste reduction, and the Recycling Improvement Fund for local authorities.
Is Zero Waste Scotland a public or private company?
Zero Waste Scotland is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Zero Waste Scotland founded?
Zero Waste Scotland was founded in 2010. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Zero Waste Scotland based?
Zero Waste Scotland is headquartered in Stirling, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Zero Waste Scotland make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Funding.
Who are Zero Waste Scotland's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are WRAP, Circle Economy, Green Alliance, Resource Futures, Eunomia Research and Consulting and Bioeconomy Innovation Clusters (IBioIC). Broad incumbents are Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Anthesis Group and European Environment Agency. UK Green Building Council is listed as an emerging player.
Does Zero Waste Scotland have an API?
No public API is recorded for Zero Waste Scotland.
What industry is Zero Waste Scotland in?
Zero Waste Scotland's product category is Circular Economy Advisory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAHAJAL, Circular Economy & Waste/Materials Reporting (Zero waste, packaging), with a secondary code of BPAIACAH, Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration. Its NAICS code is 562 and its SIC code is 4950.