CIWM Highlights Weaknesses and Gaps in England`s Waste Policy
Responding to the EFRA enquiry into waste management in England, CIWM has highlighted a number of priorities for the future.
'The focus of this enquiry is on municipal waste, but an effective policy framework is needed for all wastes, and we would like to see a renewed focus on commercial and industrial wastes, particularly with reference to future infrastructure. We also want the committee to consider a joint enquiry with the Environmental Audit Committee on the lack of meaningful cross-government working to deliver sustainable resource management and an integrated approach to delivering a more circular economy,' says chief executive Steve Lee. 'Other priorities include the need for more and better data to inform future decision making about the delivery of services and infrastructure, and consistent pan-European reporting standards to ensure that effective comparisons can be made between EU member states.'
The CIWM submission makes a number of points in response to the specific questions asked by the committee. On recycling, it suggests that England could struggle to reach the EU recycling target of 50% by 2020 and notes that while there is no excuse for England not to strive for this or any higher targets resulting from the current review of EU waste policy, meeting them would require a step-change in services, public engagement and government support.
It highlights the lack of any coherent strategy for commercial and industrial wastes and the lack of data that is hampering the development of and investment in appropriate treatment infrastructure. It recommends that electronic duty of care (edoc) be made mandatory to ensure that more accurate data is available to drive decision-making and policy development.
On thermal treatment, the fact that England is still landfilling around 18.5 million tonnes of waste each year and is exporting waste to energy recovery plants in mainland Europe suggests that there is a need for more domestic capacity in the short to medium term. While maintaining a strong focus higher up the waste hierarchy, CIWM believes it is also important to recover the energy value from genuine residual waste.
Notes to Editors:
1. The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) is the leading professional body for the waste management sector representing over 6000 individuals in the UK and overseas. Established in 1898, CIWM is a non profit-making organisation, dedicated to the promotion of professional competence amongst waste managers. CIWM seeks to raise standards for those working in and with the sector by producing best practice guidance, developing educational and training initiatives, and providing information on key waste-related issues. Comprehensive information about CIWM can be found at www.ciwm.co.uk
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