Sustainable Resource Management at Heart of Government Strategy

IEMA welcomes new waste and resources strategy published this morning and its focus on resource security.

Following publication of the UK Government’s long-awaited Resources and Waste strategy, the global sustainability body IEMA has welcomed the proposals.

Policy experts at IEMA said today that the new strategy, which seeks to achieve a zero avoidable waste economy by 2050, phase out avoidable plastic waste by 2042 and eliminate food waste from landfill by 2030, is a much-needed and welcome move. They “commend” the Government for seeking to integrate higher targets for waste and recycling - in line with the EU’s circular economy package - and for setting out targets on resource productivity through efficient manufacturing processes.

IEMA’s Chief Policy Advisor Martin Baxter said today: “We are very pleased to finally get a look at the detail of the strategy, and happy to see that many of our own recommendations set out earlier this year are mirrored in the government’s proposals.”

He continued: “We welcome the Government’s new strategy, which seeks to incentivise businesses to take responsibility for the environmental and financial costs of waste. We also welcome a focus on resource security, vital if the full potential of the Government’s ambitious Industrial Strategy is to be realised.”

In a related recommendations paper published earlier in 2018, IEMA advocated the need to set resource utilisation against economic indicators. IEMA’s report said that instead of focusing on waste minimisation, these indicators would help to showcase the business case for minimising resource use while promoting resource productivity.

“We look forward to working with our members to support implementation of the Government’s strategy,” said Baxter. “This has presented the UK with an entirely new focus on resource efficiency, productivity and security, which as we edge ever closer to exiting the EU, is more important than ever”.

Click here to access the full Resources and Waste Strategy for England.