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UK’s Waste Legislation is Outdated says EEF
January 10, 2012Six months after the Waste Review 2011 was published the manufacturers’ organisation, EEF, reviewed it and concluded that the government should have been more ambitious with regards to the management of waste claiming that the UK’s waste legislation is outdated with regards to sustainable waste management and resource efficiency.
Sustainable waste management and resource efficiency should be high on the Government’s green agenda. Together they could bring economic and environmental benefits to the British society.
According to EEF’ review waste policies should increase the opportunity for sustainable resource management. Business, and the UK economy as a whole, can benefit from competitive advantages through resource efficiency, as a result of reduced costs and access to new markets.
A recent survey conducted amongst manufacturing executives revealed that 80 percent consider shortage of raw material as a major risk to their businesses. Out these, two thirds consider it to be a top risk to their businesses.
The government needs to create a new resource management strategy to allow recycled materials to flow more easily within the economy through a more effective waste hierarchy.
According to EEF the government should reduce the regulatory burdens on the current waste legislation, not to mention that it claims the current legislation is at least twenty years out-of-date and the sheer volume and complexity of waste legislation makes it difficult for companies to know how to comply and make best use of waste and recycled materials.
EEF’ report established three priorities for a more ambitious waste legislation that will improve resource efficiency within the UK’s manufacturing segment, and they are:
1. A clear and long term resource management strategy setting out a vision for how the UK will make the most of available resources.
2. Waste legislation and guidance must be simplified to allow businesses to fully contribute to sustainable waste and resource management.
3. Facilitate speedy delivery of necessary infrastructure and advisory services.
About EEF
EEF is dedicated to the future of manufacturing Everything they do is designed to help manufacturing businesses evolve, innovate and compete in a fast-changing world. With an unique combination of business services, government representation and industry intelligence. It also has a membership of over 6,000 companies of all sizes, employing some 900,000 people from every sector of engineering, manufacturing, engineering construction and technology-based industries.
For more information please read
http://www.eef.org.uk/publications/reports/Defra-Waste-Policy-Review-six-months-on.htm
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