The Environmental Services Association (ESA) publishes scorecard examining the progress of key policies to support the decarbonisation of the recycling and waste sector.
The scorecard and its accompanying report examine the progress of policy instruments including waste prevention and reuse; the wider recycling and waste strategy reforms; a ban on organic materials form landfill; support for landfill gas and carbon capture; support for EfW heat networks and support for net-zero fuels and vehicle fleets.
The analysis shows alignment between industry and government on the commitment to reaching net zero and broad agreement on the best way the sector can achieve it. However, the ESA says the scale and pace of action has been hindered by a “lack of regulatory clarity and certainty”.
The scorecard shows that the government has failed to achieve many of its firm commitments across all relevant policy areas. As a result of this analysis, the ESA is proposing several interventions to support circular economy investment and decarbonisation.
Since 2018, the sector has been waiting for clarity over how key Resources and Waste Strategy reforms will be implemented.
The proposals include “urgently” delivering consistent kerbside collections for households and businesses alongside clear binary recycling labelling and delivering wider collections and packaging reforms without further delay.
The ESA also says government should introduce stronger measures to support the demand for recycled materials, including a “long-term escalator” on the Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT).
On landfill policy, the ESA recommend installing safeguards to prevent landfilling or waste exports ahead of the introduction of EfW (energy from waste) into the Emissions Trading Scheme in 2028, providing support for landfill gas capture and banning biodegradable waste to landfill by 2028 as well as supporting measures for collection of organic waste.
The finals proposals are for the government to continue delivering secondary legislation to enable the deployment of Heat Networks and Carbon Capture from EfW facilities and work with industry and local government to develop a decarbonisation plan for waste vehicles.
Before publishing the scorecard, YouGov undertook a poll of MPs on behalf of the ESA aiming to gauge their views on a range of recycling and waste management policy themes.
The poll, which was conducted in May and surveyed a sample of 108 MPs weighted to represent the House of Commons, found 25% of MPs claimed they were familiar with the government’s Resources and Waste Strategy reforms. 59% of MPs said the government is unlikely to meet its 65% municipal recycling target by 2035.
The results also show that 67% of MPs surveyed believe that residual waste should be treated through energy recovery (compared with only 7% by landfill and 7% through export) and that two thirds of the MPs believe that EfW will be important to the UK’s transition to green energy.
The scorecard highlights a quicker pace of policy development to support carbon capture and heat network deployment for EfW.
Commenting on the scorecard, Climate and Energy Policy Advisor for the ESA, Charlotte Rule, said: “The recycling and waste management sector stands poised to invest an estimated £10 billion in new circular economy infrastructure, which will directly prevent this outcome and help reach the government’s target, but this investment will not be realised without long-term policy clarity and urgent delivery.
“In particular, since 2018, the sector has been waiting for clarity over how key Resources and Waste Strategy reforms will be implemented across England. Every year this is delayed is a lost opportunity for our sector to deliver decarbonisation, green investment and jobs.
“By contrast though, the scorecard highlights a quicker pace of policy development to support carbon capture and heat network deployment for EfW, which has been welcomed by the sector. The continued progression of the Energy Bill through Parliament will provide the sector with the clarity needed to invest in the infrastructure to underpin the UK’s green heat and carbon capture ambitions.”
