Transitioning to a circular economy is a ‘national security issue’, the Minister of State in Defra Emma Hardy MP has told the ISWA World Congress.
Hardy, the Waste Crime and Circular Economy Minister, told the Congress that if the UK doesn’t get better at recovering materials it already has, the country will become more exposed to global markets it doesn’t control.
“So this isn’t really just an environmental question anymore. It is a resilience question, it is a supply chain question, it is a national security question,” Hardy declared.
The Minister continued that the conversations around the circular economy are no longer ‘niche’ and ‘technical’, but are essential to how economies are run.
“We import around 81% of raw materials we use in the UK,” Hardy explained. “When we could make far better use of what we already have here. This is bad economics.”
She emphasised that for too long government and society has treated waste as a problem to manage, not a resource to use.
“There is real value in what we throw away,” Hardy continued. “Sending these (materials) to incinerator or landfill is literally throwing money away.”
Hardy emphasised this point by highlighting that demand for critical minerals for clean energy is set to roughly quadruple by 2050.
She told delegates that the research shows people are willing engage in a more circular economy; however, fewer than half actually do.
“It is on us to close that gap through good design and clear information,” Hardy continued.
She emphasised that circular activities must be ‘easy, accessible, and worthwhile’.
“Cities, regions, and local government are a real opportunity,” she explained. “Our system of governments differ, but one principle travels: national governments set the direction, create the regulatory framework, and give businesses the certainty to invest. But circular economies have to work in real places.”
The Minister continued that the right circular economy solution will look different across the UK.
“Each (location) has different industrial strengths, infrastructure, skills, supply chains, and communities,” Hardy said.
“Whether it’s a city, region, state, or municipality, local leaders are best placed to connect national ambition to opportunities of their place.”
One of the ways Hardy is working to do this is by launching a new circular economy forum for England’s mayors to ‘drive good jobs and growth in every postcode’. Hardy told the Congress she will shortly convene England’s mayors for the first meeting of the forum.
The Minister emphasised that she views the circular economy as not just an environmental programme, but an industrial one.
“It means supply chains we control, not supply chains that control us,” she explained.
Hardy concluded her Ministerial Address by encouraging the conversations sparked by the Congress to continue. She continued that the event is essential to build the partnerships needed to turn our shared ambition for a circular economy into a reality.