Reuse has the potential to meet this expectation
January 11, 2023
Last year I mentioned the phrase “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. more listening and data-led informed policy. We should all be striving for the best environmental outcomes.
If we are serious about reducing the carbon footprint of our sector then we need everyone working together to remove plastics destined for residual treatment, through enhanced collection and sorting systems and we need to invest and develop a mix of mechanical and chemical recycling systems that will allow us to deal with the currently untapped plastics – flexibles in particular. In this context it shows the interaction between business and government cannot be understated in developing a successful waste and recycling infrastructure. The failure of recent high-profile trials should not be seen as an indication that it is not possible, but rather that more focus is required to get them right. The waste sector is doing well at fostering collaborative efforts across the whole value chain, but we just need a bit more clarity,
The government is that it finally delivers on its promises in terms of the policy reforms and implementation plans. My ask for the sector is that we get behind the reforms and we work as a value chain on delivering the new systems, services and solutions, and that we openly learn lessons and share findings as we go. This isn’t the end of the policy reforms, it is just the beginning of a huge period of transition. Focus more on promoting reuse systems for product provision.
Purpose and pace from government. We need to see more guidance to better inform future investment in the infrastructure.
