LAWR

COMMENT 4 Local Authority Waste & Recycling August 2015 I've just stepped back into the future Some of you reading this will know that LAWR is where I first cut my teeth as an environmental journalist and editor nearly ten years ago. The fact I haven't stopped writing about waste issues since speaks for itself! This is a fantastic, vibrant industry to write about and it never stops surprising. So it's great to come full circle and arrive back at my original starting point – albeit temporarily – as guest editor. Over the past decade I've witnessed a real evolution in thinking among waste managers and recycling officers. The arrival of the circular economy in recent years, and its growing traction, has arguably pushed that thinking to another level. Next month will bear testament to that shift as RWM 2015 opens its doors – once a traditional waste handling show, it is now firmly focused on the wider resources agenda with its own Circular Economy Zone and Theatre. Identifying the touch points where this industry can make most impact in terms of reshaping itself to capitalise on future resource flows is one of the most exciting challenges it faces. But working out precisely what role specific sectors will play within this shift is perhaps the more difficult nut to crack. In this issue, the first of two RWM previews, we look at how more circular thinking is starting to filter down into the refuse collection vehicle (RCV) market – both in Scotland, Sustainability Leaders Awards Awards 2015 19 NOVEMBER GRAND CONNAUGHT ROOMS LONDON Proud of your sustainability credentials? Get the recognition you deserve Enter now at www.awards.edie.net ExTENDED DEADLiNE! 30 July 2015 Partners Supporters edie.sus_awards-HPH-extended.indd 1 03/07/2015 11:43 which is leading the way with its zero waste push, and with a progressive RCV remanufacturer whose business model has received praise from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. We also catch up with some of the RWM 'ambassadors' – a select group of progressive minds from across the sustainability spectrum who have come together to collaborate and open up new dialogues in this space. This type of cross-fertilisation, of ideas and knowledge, may well end up as one of the key platforms that will help define the future shape of the industry. How fast – and how far – the industry evolves over the next few years is anyone's guess, but I would wager the second coming of the European Commission's circular economy package (due to be unveiled by the end of the year) will be a critical enabler. It promises to be ambitious set of measures that will take account of the 'full circle' so to speak. Whether it remains as weighted towards the outer circle of recycling as its predecessor we'll have to wait and see. In the UK, there is also the small matter of an EU referendum waiting in the wings – the outcome of which could greatly affect domestic appetite for this significant policy intervention. All in all, more questions than answers! Maxine Perella is guest editor of LAWR

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