Councillor Stephen Docherty asked why the local authority was spending millions transporting the waste instead of using facilities in the city.
Councillor Laura Doherty, convener for neighbourhood services and assets, said thrown away food from flats is sent be handled in Cumbernauld, garden waste to South Lanarkshire and some material to be recycled goes to Yorkshire and the north of Ireland for processing.
The SNP local politician said: “Glasgow City Council does make use of its own facilities to manage waste wherever possible. Our transfer stations at the material recovery facility in Blochairn handle significant volumes of recyclables and all general household waste is sent to the Glasgow recycling and renewable energy centre in Polmadie where it is converted into energy.
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“However like many major cities we don’t yet have the full infrastructure required to process every waste stream locally. Some materials require specialist treatment or facilities that are not available within the city boundaries.
“This is why we work with external contractors to ensure waste is treated responsibly and in line with environmental standards.”
She pointed out the situation will change when a new plant is open at Easter Queenslie in 2027.
Councillor Doherty added: “This new plant will be operational by 2027 and will significantly increase our ability to process recyclables locally. Until then our priority remains ensuring Glasgow’s waste is managed to a high standard within the city or through trusted external partners.”
Councillor Docherty asked: “Why is Glasgow City Council accepting all types of waste some of which is not suitable for the council to recycle causing the council to transport waste away from the city and other parts of the UK and overseas costing us £13 million.”
Stressing how the council will be able to recycle more in the future, councillor Doherty replied: “We are planning for the future. The council has pledged to construct a cutting edge facility at Easter Queenslie supported by the £15 million from us and £17 million from the Scottish Government.
“Easter Queenslie is a key component for the transformation of our waste programme across the city to reduce our carbon impact of waste on the environment and significantly improve our recycling rates and financial efficiencies from the improved quantity and quality of recyclable materials.”
The recycling situation was discussed at last week’s full council meeting.