12.12.13
Waste Prevention Programme ‘lacklustre’ – CIWM
The new Waste Prevention Programme (WPP) shows that businesses could save up to £18bn each year by producing less waste.
But the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management (CIWM) said there was “little new” in the plan, and that many in the industry would find it disappointing.
The WPP for England was published on Wednesday and sets out opportunities for savings through cutting waste, better management of resources and designing products to last longer.
An £800,000 Community Partnership Fund will be made available to help local authorities and businesses take action on waste prevention, while a new postcode locator will help people find where they can get items repaired, or pass things on for others to buy.
Resource management minister Dan Rogerson MP said: “Preventing waste from being produced in the first place is not only good for the environment, but for the economy and household budgets too.
“That’s why we are making it easier for people to find out where they can get things repaired or pass on things they no longer use.
“Everyone has a role to play in reducing waste and I want to see businesses helping consumers and the environment by designing products to last longer and using resources better.”
But CIWM chief executive Steve Lee said: “Without further work, [the programme] will not deliver the step change in society’s attitudes to resources and waste that is needed.
“We wanted common and appropriate data collection and the measurement of resource flows and impacts rather than counting recycled tonnes. We see a commitment to developing metrics by the end of next year and CIWM will commit to support in that vital work, but crucially there is still nothing on reduction targets or new approaches to measurement.”
Action and clarity are needed on how waste prevention and resource efficiency will be co-ordinated between government departments, to ensure “proper headway in waste prevention rather than doing the minimum to satisfy Waste Framework Directive requirements”.
Lee said: “It would be wrong to criticise the Programme for containing no actions, but there is little new there either. WRAP will develop a Sustainable Electricals Action Plan which we welcome, and the programme seems to confirm that even though there is a current consultation on the issue, the government has already decided to introduce a 5p single use carrier bag tax. There is also new money – albeit only £800,000 – to support development of community action on waste prevention re-use and repair. After that, most of the other initiatives and funding streams put forward in the Programme are already in place.
“I suspect that many in the industry will be disappointed with this Waste Prevention Programme, but we must remember that waste prevention and resource efficiency are no less important for a lacklustre national programme. This industry, together with its new partners elsewhere in the resources cycle, needs to commit to working on the basics such as data gathering and analysis, as well as driving for early wins in areas such as re-use.
“This is a programme we hope will be refined and improved in the light of experience and new information, particularly from Wales and Scotland who have taken a more proactive and ambitious approach. It is time for us to learn and improve collectively rather than turning our backs because we don’t see everything we wanted in version 1.0.”
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