The resource and waste management sector is largely ignored and undervalued by government strategic planning, Dan Cooke says.
In an article for environmental SCIENTIST magazine, Dan Cooke, Director of Policy, Communications and External Affairs at the CIWM, writes that government strategic planning around infrastructure ‘largely ignored’ the resource and waste management sector.
The March 2026 issue of environmental SCIENTIST, the journal of the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES), is available to read on their website.
In Cooke’s article, ‘Waste infrastructure for a resource-resilient and circular UK economy’, he analyses the current and future provision of essential recycling, resources and waste management infrastructure in the UK.
Guest edited by Professor Lindsay Beevers (University of Edinburgh), the March 2026 issue, ‘Under Construction: Delivering Better Infrastructure’, explores the importance of restoring and developing sustainable, resilient, and innovative infrastructure.
The issue examines what kinds of infrastructure the UK needs to meet targets for housing, green energy provision, and sustainable transport.
The IES is the global professional membership body for environmental scientists.
Dan Cooke is Director of Policy, Communications and External Affairs at the CIWM (Chartered Institution of Wastes Management), and a former president of the organisation.
He has held previous roles at Cornwall Council, FTSE 250-listed Pennon Group, Viridor, Tidy Britain Group/Environmental Campaigns and Coventry City Council.