Resources & Waste Strategy
Defra published the awaited Resources and Waste Strategy in late 2018 to revolutionise England’s Resources and Waste Sector
The introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility was a core element of the strategy, with it set to play a major role in reforms to the packaging producer responsibility system, introduction of Deposit Return Schemes (DRS), consistency in collections of recyclable waste.
The main points of the strategy are to increase resource efficiency, minimise waste, and the environmental impact of waste in pursuit of eliminating avoidable plastic waste, doubling resource productivity, and eliminating avoidable waste of all kinds by 2050.
This strategy forms part of the following suite of interconnected Government strategies:
The strategy reiterates that as we leave the EU that in the UK “… environmental standards are not only maintained but enhanced.” For example, the strategy proposes a 75% overall packaging recycling target in 2030, compared to a 70% EU target.
The government and devolved administrations hope that the implementation of the packaging reform initiatives will lead to the attainment of a recycling rate for UK packaging of 78% by 2030.
The government’s reform initiatives have been subject to two rounds of public consultation. Our EPR member summary document outlines the policy proposals made by Government for reforming the 1997 Packaging Waste Regulations.
We will notify our customers of forthcoming consultations, providing opportunities for input. These will be published on the Consultations and Responses pages of our website.
Soon after the launch of the Resources and Waste Strategy in 2019, MRW hosted a round table for industry to get together to discuss Defra’s publication.