A review of the 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy undertaken by CIWM (the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management) has found that only 20% of the policies in the strategy have been fully implemented.
The review found 54% were only partially in place, which means work is yet to start on over a quarter (26%) of the policies originally detailed over six years ago
The reasons cited for this slow rate of progress include frequent ministerial changes post-2018, preparing for the UK’s exit from the European Union, and responding to the Covid-19 pandemic.
CIWM said that while the delivery of some aspects of the 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy, such as EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) and Consistent Collections, must be prioritised, the “world has moved on”.
CIWM called the strategy “outdated” and said it will not be able to deliver a zero-waste economy which could deliver significant growth in UK GDP, increase jobs, and maximise resource efficiency.
CIWM believes there is an urgent need to produce a new Resource Resilience Strategy aimed at delivering a circular economy and helping the UK to achieve net zero.
The ambitious scale of the strategy was never matched by the resources made available within government to deliver it.
Commenting on the launch of the review, CIWM’s Director of Innovation and Technical Services, Lee Marshall, said: “The ambitious scale of the strategy was never matched by the resources made available within government to deliver it.
“Whilst it is good to see that Defra has been slightly bolstered in recent years, the fact is that political indecision has left the original timelines meaningless in many cases.
“There is an urgent need to see certain policies delivered, including packaging EPR and Consistent Collections which will directly increase recycling rates, whilst digital waste tracking and carriers, brokers and dealers’ reforms will help regulators address waste crime and increase standards still further.
“Given the picture this review paints, it is time to produce a new Resource Resilience Strategy that will help deliver on the Government’s ambition of a zero-waste economy.”
The potential impact of Consistent Collections
CIWM said the unimplemented policy that had the potential to have the biggest impact is Consistent Collections, now known as Simpler Recycling.
The policy would see weekly food waste collection services provided by 50% of councils in England that are not already providing this service.
CIWM said this will help all households recycle more and reduce carbon emissions as a result of less biodegradable waste entering the residual waste stream.
The overall recycling rate in England could increase from the current 44% to around 60% and cost-effective societal benefits are estimated to be around £3bn up to 2035, CIWM said.
The full CIWM review of the 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy is available here.
