Scots sent a record amount of food waste for recycling in 2017, figures show.

A total of 158,500 tonnes of household and commercial waste food went for recycling instead of going into landfill - 47,000 tonnes more than in 2013.

Zero Waste Scotland, which produced the figures, said the increase had prevented the equivalent of 41,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere - the same as taking more than 22,000 cars off the roads for a year.

Chief executive Iain Gulland said: "Scotland should be proud, the recycling of more food waste into sustainable energy is an incredible achievement.

"The rise in recycled food waste is welcome news for Scotland's economy and for the planet. When we waste food, we also waste the resources that went into growing, processing, transporting and packaging it, so it is hugely important that we use what we have."

He highlighted the amount of energy that can be produced from food waste, and added: "We are living through a climate emergency and individuals can have a great impact without even leaving the kitchen by simply using their food waste caddy."

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham also welcomed the increase, saying: "I am pleased to see a growing number of people across the country taking action to reduce food waste.

"Scotland's response to the global climate emergency must be a shared, national endeavour - we all need to do our bit to safeguard the planet for future generations - and reducing and recycling food waste is an easy but important way to do just this."