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Hot on the heels of the Waste Review 2011 and CIWN and WRAP plan to reduce waste going to landfills, Defra and the ESA (Environmental Services Association) announced a new “responsibility deal” between Government and waste management companies to further improve the quality of waste management and recycling services.
“The objective of this responsibility deal is to build on this progress and improve further the management of waste as a resource in the economy through an agreed set of commitments. Annex A to this document describes where we aim to get through these commitments by 2014.” - http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/PB13580-responsibility-deal.pdf
Announced by the environment minister Lord Henley, the deal was developed by Defra, the ESA (representing the waste management and recycling sector) with help from Local Government Associations, the EA (Environmental Agency) and FSB (Federation of Small Businesses).
The deal has four main objectives:
• Promote waste prevention and resource efficiency
• Increase recycling
• Improve the quality of recyclable and recycled materials
• Promote the waste hierarchy with further engagement of local communities providing more recycling opportunities
In total it is estimated that the deal will help businesses save collectively up to £18 billion a year by implementing simple cost effective solutions to reduce waste.
Lord Henley called the deal “groundbreaking” and said it would “help to boost growth in the green economy. Businesses will benefit from more user-friendly waste management services and better advice on how to deal with their waste.”
Waste management companies are to play an important role in this “responsibility deal” as well as in the move towards a more sustainable society. The Government knows the importance of supporting the waste management sector to speed up the process towards a Green Economy. According to the deal, waste management companies are to work as resources providers and:
• Provide help to their customers (businesses and local authorities) to adopt ever more sustainable resource management practices
• Position themselves as resource providers to the wider economy
• Help ensure that the benefits of the waste hierarchy and separate collection provisions of the revised Waste Framework Directive are fully realised
The deal also stated that the ESA is to amend the Code of Conduct for the waste management companies who are its members to reflect the four aims. Defra will have to work with the FSB and other trade bodies and local government organisations to raise businesses awareness of their waste responsibilities and provide signage to specific new services or changes.
Many waste industry chief executives have welcomed the “responsibility deal” by saying that it should significantly help Britain move towards a zero waste economy by simply encouraging better segregation of recyclable material to help the recycling industry.
Further information about the contents of this article can be found on the links below:
Responsibility Deal between the Government and the waste and resource management sector
CIWN and WRAP plan to reduce waste
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