ESA welcomes momentum for reducing waste and boosting recycling
Environmental Services Association
The UK’s waste and recycling sector has today responded to the publication of the summary of responses to the Resources and Waste Strategy consultations.
The Environmental Services Association (ESA), which represents the resources and waste industry, has welcomed the strong support for measures to reduce waste and boost recycling, and urged the incoming Prime Minister to show bold leadership in delivering change.
ESA’s Executive Director, Jacob Hayler said: “Today’s publication of responses to the Resources and Waste Strategy consultations show that momentum is building around the circular economy, and sends a clear message to the incoming Prime Minister that he must be bold in implementing and where possible accelerating the proposals.
“It is crucial that the quality as well as quantity of the materials we send for recycling is improved. To that end, producer responsibility reform must place strong incentives on producers to design their packaging for recycling. Consistent collections should also be fast-tracked as quickly as possible to eliminate consumer confusion and reduce contamination. However, there is no point collecting more material if there is no demand for it. The plastics tax is therefore a positive first step in helping us close the loop and stimulate domestic reprocessing. A deposit return scheme has the potential to complement these measures in capturing commonly littered and unrecycled materials, so it is important that whatever form it takes, the whole system can work together.
“These early indications on the detail Resources and Waste Strategy are promising. Clearly further work is needed to ensure the proposals are cost-effective and deliver the right outcomes. We look forward to continuing our work with Defra and the Treasury to design a system that ensures resources are properly stewarded whilst boosting the economy and providing green jobs.”
