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Improving strategy and delivery of waste policy in the UK

This report focuses on the problems, challenges and opportunities for UK manufacturing companies from current and impending waste management policy and legislation.
It argues the case for UK government to take a more holistic and strategic view across waste management issues, as well as to work more effectively with business on the delivery policy initiatives.

The government has set challenging objectives for industry by 2005 to reduce the amount of industrial and commercial waste sent to landfill to 85% of that landfilled in 1998. We believe that in order to achieve this and ongoing improvements it is necessary to address some of the problems which exist within the current arrangements. We believe that these comments are timely ahead of the planned review of the Department for Environoment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) 'Waste Strategy 2000'.

Recommendations

  • One government Minister should have overall responsibility for all aspects of waste strategy.
  • A task-force of experts forming a strategic waste advisery panel should urgently be established and tasked with reviewing the existing UK waste infrastructure in order to assess our ability to meet both existing and future requirements.
  • As many more businesses are now affected by waste legislation than ever before DEFRA should adopt new strategies to serve these new customers. These strategies should focus on improving both communication of new responsibilities and obligations (particularly for SMEs) and accessibility to clear and unequivocal advice and guidance.
  • DEFRA should work in partnership with business
    organisations to develop an understanding amongst
    stakeholders of the structures and responsibilities within
    the Department which currently appear confused and
    fragmented.
  • Government should take firm action to demonstrate a
    stronger will to apply sustainable development
    principles across the board by ensuring that all sectors
    of society are contributing towards waste reduction.
    Many in industry hold the view that the municipal
    sector does not share an equal burden of the responsibility to reduce levels of disposal to landfill.
  • The UK government should use its Presidency of the
    Council of Ministers in 2005 to resolve barriers to reuse/
    re-cycling arising from the EU definition of waste.
    In particular, the Commission's classification of by
    products should be changed so that they are no longer
    considered as waste.
  • Government should use revenue raised from the
    increased landfill tax to create the infrastructure
    required to enable safe and efficient disposal of waste.
  • Landfill tax funds should also be used to ensure
    minimisation of waste through process re-engineering
    and R&D funding.
  • The Department of Trade and Industry's (DTI)
    innovation policy should join up more effectively with
    DEFRA's waste and sustainable resource use policies, for instance improving the linkages between the
    Manufacturing Advisery Service and Envirowise.
  • Government should introduce incentives which
    positively encourage companies to adopt improved
    waste management policies. These could include
    cheaper fees for those who meet targets, lower
    inspection frequencies, grants, new market
    opportunities and less bureaucracy.
Improving strategy and delivery of waste policy in the UK