What does the 2018 Budget hold for the waste and resources sector? asks Luke Prazsky, technical director at Wardell Armstrong. Hopefully, several relevant key strategies, he says.
With the 2017 Budget failing to deliver on measures to increase re-use, we should take a moment to remember that these are interesting times for the waste and resources sector. 2018 will hopefully see the publication of the several relevant key strategies which will drive the UK forwards in the UK’s resource efficiency, i.e. the way in which materials, energy, and water are used in the UK economy.
Although the Chancellor (pictured) didn’t announce any measures that will revolutionise waste reuse and recycling, some plans, like the one to investigate how the tax system and charges on single-use plastic items can reduce waste, are a very positive step in the right direction.
The £30m of extra funding over the next four years to help the Environment Agency tackle waste crime and confirmation that operators of illegal waste sites will become liable for Landfill Tax from 1 April 2018, should go at least some way to clamp down on the cowboys in the industry.
These plans are all commendable and show the influence of the political heavyweight that is Michael Gove in his new role as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs considering that he has only been in post since June 2017. I for one, am keen to see how his plans for a new environmental regulator will shake out given his significant ability to challenge and influence at the highest level of government.
These plans are all commendable and show the influence of the political heavyweight that is Michael Gove in his new role as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs considering that he has only been in post since June 2017.
The Government’s widely anticipated Industrial Strategy and Resources Strategy are going to be key to ensuring a coordinated and appropriate step forward in how we address the issues of waste, material flows, contamination and energy production. The waste and resources sector is facing several challenges, namely to reverse the decline in recycling rates, to prevent food waste, and to increase demand for secondary raw materials.
With Brexit dominating Parliament time my hope is that the Government put the necessary effort into co-ordinating between themselves and industry to produce something that delivers tangible improvements and really moves the game on.
Whilst China’s clampdown on contamination levels in recycling imports has been widely criticised, the eternal optimist in me sees that it couldn’t have come at a more opportune time and it does represent an opportunity to develop the infrastructure for us to increase the value in recyclable materials we produce.
When you consider the alternatives to establishing this infrastructure ourselves, i.e. sending ‘contaminated’ recyclables to landfill or for energy recovery (less attractive) or changing how we collect recyclable materials (potentially very difficult) you can see the scale of the challenge that we face in this country.
Our traditional markets for recyclate and waste sent for energy recovery in China and the EU may be under threat, but instead of giving up and looking for new landfills sites, we need to use this as motivation to drive innovation in reducing waste and retaining value in recyclable materials in the UK.
This latest budget announcement and the focus on long-term strategic thinking gives hope that there is a least some awareness and support for our industry at a higher political level.
