The Scottish Waste Environmental Footprint Tool (SWEFT) by Zero Waste Scotland offers a comprehensive view of the environmental impact of household waste. Similar to its predecessor, the Carbon Metric, SWEFT considers the impacts generated during upstream production processes, including raw material extraction and manufacturing, as well as waste management. 

 

SWEFT reveals that materials and products that households waste in Scotland has significant environmental impacts, with varying streams affecting different environmental indicators. The most problematic streams in terms of climate change, biodiversity loss, air pollution, mineral resource scarcity, water consumption and land use are textiles, food, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), plastic, and paper and cardboard. While recycling is crucial for achieving climate goals like net-zero, the greatest reduction in environmental harm will come from minimising waste through reduced consumption, reuse and sharing.