The importance of integrated waste planning is becoming increasingly clear. So has the time come for England to introduce a national strategic waste board? As the UK prepares to publish a new waste strategy, it is important to look at the bigger picture, writes Nigel Pritchard
In an environment where legislation and regulations surrounding waste management are complex, evolving and divergent, is it now time to set up a national strategic waste board to co-ordinate policy and ensure a consistent approach across England for dealing with waste and recycling?
I asked the question at a recent meeting of the Waste Action Forum (WAF) in Westminster, London and the response I received back from delegates was an emphatic ‘yes’ - a view that I share.
The subject of the regulatory disconnection that exists in England was a key topic at the Forum, and was discussed in detail. When surveyed, representatives from local authorities, industry and retailers came out strongly in favour of central co-ordination and the need for a consistent approach across the country for dealing with waste and recycling.
A disconnected structure has evolved around the waste industry as it has grown over the years, and this is the root cause of many problems that we experience today. As a ‘top level’ example, the DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) is the ‘supporter’ of the waste industry, there to create the conditions to help it flourish, but Defra (Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) dictates the policy under which it operates. This is further confused by the regulation of the industry being driven by several areas including the European Union, Defra, the Environment Agency and local authorities.
You would be hard pushed to find any other industry in England that operates in such a disconnected and disparate way. This result of this ‘structure’ has led to different priorities and interpretations of regulations, resulting in inconsistencies in approach and judgement.
Many problems it has caused are already well documented, such as different recycling targets being set for industry and local authorities, which result in these groups effectively working against each other.
Lack of foresight is also evident in glass recycling. Funding from Defra has led to local authorities substantially increasing kerbside collections. Because local authorities’ recycling targets are set by weight (and glass is a heavy material), they have rapidly been introducing kerbside glass collection schemes to help meet these targets. Collection methods have been left to local authorities to decide and this has resulted in a huge swing towards mixed-colour glass collection.
The rush towards mixed glass collection has created a major issue for glass container recyclers. Mixed glass collections contain on average 50% green glass while UK food and drink manufacturers use predominantly clear and amber glass. Long-established ‘bring’ systems, which provide colour-separated glass, are also affected and are now in decline.
The glass industry is now faced with an excess of green glass and a dearth of the much more valued amber and clear glass.
We also have local authorities and other government bodies working at different geographic levels, some locally, some regionally and others nationally. This leads to different interpretations of legislation and policy, and consequently different ways of working across the country.
There are many areas where greater strategic control and a centralized focus could deliver substantial benefits to reduce costs, improve infrastructure, increase efficiency and enhance service provision.
Adopting a consistent approach to planning approvals across the country for recycling and disposal facilities would give greater clarity to people involved in setting up infrastructure and enable them to act with greater certainty. Planning approvals are currently handled locally by departments that rarely have a complete understanding of the legislative and economic framework under which the industry operates. This has the potential to undermine the progress of the industry in meeting waste and recycling targets.
Standardizing the way different local authorities collect and process waste would help improve public understanding of how we deal with waste and lead to more efficient services. Through centrally co-ordinating procurement of contractors, equipment and services, there is the huge potential to save costs.
UK government also needs to think more inclusively about how it views waste. Currently there is great focus on collecting and reprocessing household waste - the minority fraction of the total waste we produce in England. This should be broadened out to encompass both commercial and industrial waste.
There also needs to be greater emphasis on encouraging manufacturers to view reprocessed waste as a resource rather than a residue. A lot of work is already being done in this area, but it is not just about finding new markets through technology and innovation. Using reprocessed materials needs to be commercially viable for companies, and this is a key factor that needs to be addressed before companies will consider ‘designing in’ recyclable materials into their products.
The waste management industry is complex and these are just a few of the issues that could be improved by setting up a national strategic waste board. Much of this, I hope, has already been considered within the UK government’s Waste Strategy Review for England. It is important that government continues to hear from - and listens carefully to the needs and experiences of - people that work at the sharp end of managing waste.
Part of the role of the WAF is to influence UK government thinking on its waste strategy for England. In our view, the structure of the waste industry needs to be completely overhauled. The time is now right to set up a central body to co-ordinate how we deal with waste and recycling in England.
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NIGEL PRITCHARD is a Director of Ardagh Glass, based in the UK, and is Chair of the Waste Action Forum.
e-mail: nigel.pritchard@ardaghglass.com
