A study of the UK nations’ progress in adopting policies to become ‘circular economies’ has found that Wales scores above the rest of the UK.
Of 16 key indicators used in the study, Wales was found to meet 14 of the key themes, more than any of the other UK nations.
The independent report, by Resource Recovery from Waste, analysed the approaches of the four UK governments towards developing a more ‘circular economy’.
A circular economy keeps resources in use as long as possible and seeks to recover and regenerate products and materials at the end of their life, rather than making, using and then disposing of them.
“Welsh schemes such as our Circular Economy Investment Fund and the Collaborative Change Programme are supporting both the private and public sectors in Wales, helping towards our ultimate aim of becoming a zero waste nation by 2050.”
Comparing the results to government plans in the four UK nations shows great differences in progress towards becoming a circular economy. The report makes recommendations for growth, innovation, and resilient infrastructure whilst contributing to quality jobs and welfare throughout the UK.
Hannah Blythyn, Minister for Environment, said: “This is welcome recognition of the hard work being done in Wales across many sectors to become a more circular economy. This work is being driven forward by policies such as Towards Zero Waste and initiatives like WRAP Cymru’s Plastic Route Map for Wales, due to be published in the autumn.
“My ambition is to move towards a circular economy in Wales, as set out in our Economic Action Plan, which means making more of what we consume here and recycling waste as much as possible. This approach not only benefits our environment, it also brings economic opportunities and creates jobs.
“Welsh schemes such as our Circular Economy Investment Fund and the Collaborative Change Programme are supporting both the private and public sectors in Wales, helping towards our ultimate aim of becoming a zero waste nation by 2050.”