The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) would like to welcome the new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed, together with his colleagues Ed Miliband (Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero) and Bridget Phillipson (Secretary of State for Education). CIWM is committed to working across government to realise Labour’s manifesto commitment to ‘reduce waste by moving to a circular economy.’
Shortly before the election, CIWM published its resources policy blueprint. This contained ten ‘policy asks’ designed to accelerate the transition to a more resource resilient and circular economy, capable of meeting future material demands and supporting the battle against climate change. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this blueprint and establish how CIWM can reinvigorate the pace of policy implementation and support the new government in moving to a world beyond waste.
CIWM’s policy recommendations are outlined below:
Years One and Two
Policy 1: Implement the existing Resources & Waste Strategy policies
Policy 2: Create a cross-government resource resilience task force
Policy 3: Launch a Green Skills Fund
Policy 4: Introduce targeted Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for several key product types
Policy 5: Introduce targets across the top half of the waste hierarchy (prevention, reuse, repair)
Years Three to Five
Policy 6: Develop a Circular Economy Plan with a supporting Resource Resilience Strategy
Policy 7: Price raw materials so that prices include negative environmental externalities
Policy 8: Introduce targeted economic instruments
Policy 9: Strengthen eco-design and waste prevention
Policy 10: Ensure adequate funding for Environment Agency and other regulators
For full details of the individual policy proposals, please visit www.ciwm.co.uk/policyasks.
