CIWM calls for clear 2030s strategy for waste sector
The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management is urging the government to set a new strategic direction for England’s resources and waste sector.
The CIWM says its policy briefing sets out clear opportunities and priorities for the next generation of resources and waste policy.
While primarily focused on England, the briefing is said to highlight areas where strong coordination with Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will be important.
With the 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy entering its final implementation phase, CIWM says it is time to articulate a new strategy covering at least the period of the Sixth Carbon Budget 2033-37, ideally extending to 2042.
This is when the long-term residual waste reduction target falls, the CIWM reports, and so the sector would have sufficient lead time to plan for and invest in the required changes.
The briefing - A New Strategic Direction for the Resources and Waste Sector in England - is said to recognises the progress made under the 2018 strategy, with Defra expecting England to achieve 90-100% of its 2030 interim waste reduction target. However, CIWM argues that the next generation of policy measures must build on this progress and deliver on its economic, social and environmental potential.
it calls for the strategy to:
- Go beyond packaging and food waste, extending the focus to other high-impact materials including textiles, electrical and electronic equipment and construction and demolition waste.
- Go beyond recycling to incentivise reuse and reduction, supporting repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing and product lifetime extension.
- Go beyond consistent and improved collections, creating stronger domestic demand for recycled materials and reused products and encouraging investment in UK reprocessing, refurbishment and remanufacturing.
- Go beyond environmental goals, recognising the strategic role resource management can play in economic resilience and security, reindustrialisation, social value and skilled employment.
- Tackle health and safety and waste crime, ensuring these core issues are improved and do not undermine progress across the sector.
- Stick to the plan, with realistic, achievable policies and consistent implementation that give businesses and investors confidence.
Dan Cooke, CIWM Director of Policy, Communications and External Affairs, says, 'There has been significant and welcome progress under the 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy, but we now need to look ahead and provide this vital sector with a clear sense of direction for the 2030s.
'We hope to see a high-level and ambitious Circular Economy Growth Plan published soon, but this sector needs a coherent strategic roadmap to deliver on its potential and continue the strong progress made over recent years towards greater UK resource efficiency.'
