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The bin fines are, unfortunately, a rabbit hole. They might be worthy of consideration, but, as we heard from the minister, would be used only in the most unusual cases, based on the evidence that is likely to be presented. Therefore, I respectfully suggest that any length of time spent on that measure by the team is a distraction from transformational changes that could be worked on. That is what the Scottish Government wants to make part of its agenda for a circular economy, but I fail to see the argument for that.

Nonetheless, there are opportunities to standardise bin colours or a introduce a more consistent approach. As a result of the approach that is being taken, a cynic might think that the question that is being answered—certainly not by the minister but by a series of previous ministers and cabinet secretaries—is: how do we ensure that recycling flatlines for as long as possible in Scotland? It is another example of how Scotland does that—and there is a long list of them.

Yes, and it is embarrassing that the committee thinks that meeting a recycling target 12 years late is too onerous. If we are in a climate emergency, we should act quickly. The opposite has been proposed and consistently voted on by the committee on a series of measures.

I do not intend to move amendment 57, but there is more work to be done on the possibilities for standardisation. In broad terms, on segregating waste, the industrial reprocessing infrastructure, which has a lifespan of 25 years, is already future proofing the recycling capacity for households as well as commercial and industrial concerns. Without some major public funding to change it, that system will remain locked in—rightly or wrongly. Therefore, it is already future proofed, so we could get standardisation across a host of local authorities and increase our recycling rates quickly and easily if anyone wanted to do so.

I will press it.

After, I think, three sessions and almost 15 hours, I thought that I might have something that the Scottish Government agreed with. I am a little puzzled as to what is wrong with amendment 56, but, nonetheless, I will take what has been said as supportive. I hope that I have not made a mistake somewhere along the line.

Amendment 55 agreed to.

Amendment 160 moved—[Jackie Dunbar]—and agreed to.

Amendments 56 and 57 not moved.

Yes. This is not a commentary on the amendments, in particular, but it is of concern that we are discussing the issue 20 years after talking about it previously. It has gone full circle. That is a problem of Government and, potentially, of Parliament. We are discussing what is, in essence, a real nappy campaign almost 20 years after it was initially put in the landfill, so to speak.

There is an opportunity for the Scottish Government to provide Parliament and the member with information on the policy choices in that space. We have had a real nappy campaign before, which was funded by the Scottish Government. Information on that, including on behaviour change, its effectiveness and the materials that were provided could all be published. That would be really useful.

As Mark Ruskell said, we have had recycling trials for absorbent hygiene products—not just nappies but other items. Again, a report would be useful in relation to that space, so I hope that the Scottish Government will do that.

There has also been life-cycle analysis of the environmental impact of real nappies versus disposable ones, and the requirements around laundering a reusable nappy in order to make that better for the environment. That is another report that the Scottish Government could publish.

Another policy option that should be considered in the round is a ban on absorbent hygiene products going to landfill. The Scottish Government might want to pursue that, and it would not mean that we could not pursue the thrust of Ms Lennon’s amendment. Furthermore, there are increasing numbers of biodegradable nappies coming on to the market, and, of course, they would be banned from going to landfill. Again, sales analysis of how that is working out would be useful in advance of stage 3, so that members can make an evidence-based choice on the policy interventions in that area.

On the scheme for reusable diapers, which amendment 170 deals with, it is difficult to know whether to support it without knowing more about the evidence base in the round. It might be the best policy option, but it might not be.

Similarly, although the intention of the scheme for donated mattresses that is set out in amendment 216 is important, it could be incredibly burdensome on local authorities, which would have to match up information across different databases.

We should write to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to highlight the petitioner’s submission and seek information on the criteria for determining clinical priorities; an explanation as to why chronic kidney disease is not already designated a clinical priority; and further detail on the Scottish Government’s decision not to increase the number of health strategies for individual conditions, including chronic kidney disease.

We should write to the Scottish Government to ask, in light of the consultation responses, whether it intends to regulate alkaline hydrolysis in its development of regulations under the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016 and when it expects the outstanding regulations to be implemented.

Yes, I welcome that investment. There are some benefits to being an urban-based council in that when you roll out new kerbside infrastructure you can get benefits from rerouting, which is far more challenging in a more rural community or, indeed, our island communities. It is about infrastructure investment. It is also about linking that to kerbside communications with householders over what they can and cannot recycle, which I think have dropped off the entire Scottish Government agenda, not just for Glasgow but across Scotland. That communication can help to boost the rate.

There appears to have been a vast change in approach. It would be very easy and not costly to meet the 50 per cent household recycling target, which was to be achieved by 2013. I do not think that that would have to rely on investment. I will not name the local authority that was paying a waste contractor to collect air because it no longer had enough waste in its residual bin—we want to avoid that situation. However, as a result of the uncertainty and the unclear market signal that the Scottish Government has sent about what might be required, that could easily occur, which is incredibly concerning.

I found that statement from the minister utterly bizarre. I am not sure what the Scottish Government’s policy is on the targets that it has set for itself. For the avoidance of doubt, having local authority targets does not preclude national targets being set. In fact, if we had what the Scottish Government previously said it would have, which is national targets, we might well want some local authority targets to be set, because they would help in meeting the national targets. The Scottish Government’s own targets, which presumably resulted from extensive detailed analysis, appear to have now been suddenly thrown in a big landfill bin, which is quite shocking.

The worry around all of this is that, if a local authority is looking at investment and making contracts, it will now find that its direction of travel—which has been very obvious as the recycling rate that local authorities are expected to make—is going to be the result of a negotiation process. Lots of local authorities that have invested significant amounts, such as Renfrewshire and Scottish Borders, could be left hung out to dry as a result of this new process. The uncertainty around it is quite shocking for local authorities across Scotland, because who knows what that negotiated outcome will be? Will there be a first-mover advantage for local authorities that have invested heavily, such as Aberdeenshire Council, or will councils that have taken their eye off the ball in terms of kerbside roll-outs get a big win because they will get extra funding now? I do not know. I do not think that anyone knows.

One thing that we do know is that it is incredibly unclear, and the Scottish Government seems to be disowning the targets that it has set. That is what we have established today.