CIWM is calling on the government to set a clear new strategic direction for England’s resources and waste sector through the 2030s.
As the 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy enters its final implementation phase, CIWM (Chartered Institution of Wastes Management) is calling for a new strategy covering the 2030s.
CIWM says this would give the sector sufficient lead time to plan for and invest in the required changes.
The call is made in a new policy briefing, A New Strategic Direction for the Resources and Waste Sector in England, which sets out opportunities and priorities for the next generation of resources and waste policy.
Produced alongside the Circular Economy Institute and in partnership with Susan Evans at Resource Futures, the briefing sets out how long-term policy certainty can ‘unlock vital infrastructure investment, protect domestic supply chains, and keep valuable materials circulating in the UK economy’.
The briefing also calls for government to work with the sector to set out a clear long-term vision and the specific policy mechanisms, including financial and fiscal incentives, needed to deliver the long-delayed Circular Economy Growth Plan.
While primarily focused on England, the briefing also highlights areas where strong coordination with Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will play a key role.
CIWM is calling for a new strategy covering at least the period of the Sixth Carbon Budget (2033–37) and ideally extending to 2042, when the long-term residual waste reduction target falls.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) expects 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’.
Commenting on the briefing, Dan Cooke, CIWM Director of Policy, Communications and External Affairs, said while there has been significant progress under the 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy, the government must look ahead and provide the sector with a clear 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,” Cooke said.
“The next strategy must build on what has already been achieved while broadening our ambition beyond recycling, renewable energy and better collections.”
CIWM is calling 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.
- Establish realistic, achievable policies and consistent implementation that give businesses and investors’ confidence.
The briefing concludes that, with the right policy support, the resources and waste sector can play a ‘critical role’ in supporting UK economic growth and security, creating skilled careers and enabling and revitalising strong local economies.
