LAWR

BRIEFING Taking recycling to another level The resource management industry has been hit by a spate of negative publicity in the last few months, but while doomsayers will be rubbing their hands with glee yelling out "I told you so", those in the know will be quietly optimistic that it will all turn out well in the next six months. ESA's Jakob Rindegren explains why. n 2013 every week seemed filled with encouraging reports and events heralding the era of the circu- lar economy. Innovative examples of treating waste as a resource frequently featured in the press and at awards cer- emonies. However, the positive mood was dented considerably at the end of the year by announcements from Defra that they were taking a step back on waste policy, just as signs were coming in that England's recycling levels were beginning to plateau. In the first half of 2014, the sector has had to take a somewhat more sobering look at what can be achieved in terms of improving both quality and quantity of recycled material, in what is still a very difficult economic climate. Going forward the challenges are equally formidable, if not more so. TEEP and securing greater value for money from services are likely to continue being the top priorities for councils. The UK Parliamentary elections in 2015 also mean that Defra is even less likely than before to propose substantial changes to business as usual. In terms of demand for secondary raw material, although the UK economy is showing signs of improvement, its recovery is still fragile. There are however glimmers of hope that positive change is possible. Although there are different views on the outcome, it's undeniable that the materials recovery facilities (MRF) Regulations, coming into force 1 October 2014, are a significant piece of waste legislation, perhaps the last we can expect for some time. The MRF Regulations will improve transparency of the quality of input and output mate- rial, highlighting good performers while exposing poor performers, both in terms of MRFs and local authorities. Making the most of these Regulations will there- fore be crucial. While Defra has taken a step back on waste policy, the European Commission certainly has not. The big event in 2014 will be the publication of the Commission's circular economy legisla- tive package, including the much antici- pated review of the EU waste targets. The legislative package will possibly be out by the time you read this, and will have set the terms of the debate on the best way forward. It is hard to see how Defra can completely ignore what is likely to be an ambitious set of proposals from Brussels. One important element of the EC's package will be a non-binding resource efficiency target. And regardless of whether any con- crete proposals can be expected from the UK Government this side of the 2015 general election, it clearly makes sense for policy makers and politicians to start thinking about the constructive propos- als put forward, not least by the ESA, on creating a more investment friendly environment to boost our economy. Foremost on ESA's wish list is sup- porting infrastructure investments through for example tax breaks for busi- nesses. Properly tackling waste crime, with sufficient funding provided to the Environment Agency, is also a must. Without funding, waste crime will con- tinue to seriously hamper investments by responsible businesses, making it even harder for UK plc to fulfil the hopes for a more circular economy which so many people expressed last year. And in 2015, whomever is in government will need to take this agenda seriously, if only to get England's recycling rate ris- ing once again. Jakob Rindegren is recycling policy advisor at the ESA. 8 Local Authority Waste & Recycling July 2014 I New policy thinking is coming from Brussels Retaining Wall Solutions Alfabloc Shuttabloc L-Bloc Concrete panels Betaloc XL POUNDFIELD PRODUCTS Manufacturers of pre-cast concrete products www.poundfield.com The Grove, Creeting St. Peter, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP6 8QG Tel: 01449 723150 Taper Bloc Poundfield LAWR ad 12/3/14 11:21 am Page 1

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