Reed said that the government vows to “end throwaway culture” and “make reuse and repair the norm”.
Notably, the speech included the next steps for the recently appointed Circular Economy Taskforce.
It confirmed that the Taskforce has selected its first five priority areas of focus: textiles, transport, construction, agri-food, and chemicals and plastics.
The Taskforce will now work with the relevant sectors to create a series of specific roadmaps to improve and reform the approach to using materials.
Reed said that the government’s Circular Economy Strategy will be published in Autumn this year, which will underpin the roadmaps.
He concluded the speech by making a request to UK businesses: “My ask from you is simple. Please tell the taskforce, and tell me, what you need from us. Then work with us so we can make it happen.”
See how the industry has responded below.
Circular Economy Taskforce
Andrew Morlet, chair of the Circular Economy Taskforce, said: “Transitioning to a circular economy is an ambitious but crucial goal as this Government kickstarts economic growth and turns Britain into a clean energy superpower.
“I welcome the vision set out by the Environment Secretary at this critical juncture in our journey. Our taskforce will bring together industry, academic and policy experts with central and local government to ensure we maximise its potential fully by creating jobs, increasing resource efficiency and accelerating the path to net zero.”
Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM)
A spokesperson from the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) commented: “CIWM was pleased to represent its members at Defra’s Circular Economy Moment event in Canada Water today. It’s good to note the inspiring circular economy examples and the strong and clear ambition from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, via secretary of state Steve Reed MP, on opportunities and the next steps for the Circular Economy Task Force.
“It was important to raise the fact that our sector will be part of the bedrock of a more circular economy and that expectation is high.
“It’s also important to keep a focus on issues such as waste crime and the need for any new strategy and policies to ensure resourcing for local authorities and regulators to tackle waste crime and deliver high quality environments to help local economies thrive. Implementation of vital measures such as Carriers, Brokers and Dealers regs and digital waste tracking remain crucial – to make sure we can walk before we run.
“Stability, policy certainty and partnership will be a crucial function of the emerging CE Strategy and sector roadmaps to enable investability and innovation in our sector.
“The opportunity is clearly to facilitate waste prevention, reuse and repair at scale, underpinned by higher recycling rates. A more circular UK economy will bring jobs, skills and sustainable growth for our sector and the others we work with.
“CIWM looks forward to more engagement with the Taskforce to support its vital work this year.”
Ecosurety
Robbie Staniforth, innovation and policy director at Ecosurety, said: “The comments of the minister show genuinely surprising levels of ambition.
“There has been too much focus on packaging recycling, at the expense of other much more important areas of the economy, over the last five years. However, this circular economy strategy needs to be owned and delivered across government, not just within the environment department.
“I hope the minister has a plan for bringing the rest of the cabinet with him to deliver an actual change to the economy, rather than just upgraded extended producer responsibility schemes. The proof will be in the pudding of strategy implementation, rather than the aperitif of this announcement.”
Green Alliance
Libby Peake, head of resource policy at the Green Alliance and member of the Circular Economy Taskforce, said: “Waste is baked into our current economic system and causes us harm on so many levels. It’s degrading our environment and international supply chains to the extent that economic shocks become inevitable. It adds a cost burden to businesses’ bottom lines and frustrates people who are fed up with shoddy products, blatant waste and litter.
“But as the Environment Secretary outlines today, it really doesn’t have to be this way and it’s great to hear his vision for how innovative, circular businesses will thrive in the UK in future. It’s an incredible opportunity to help bring that about this change as part of the government’s Circular Economy Taskforce.”
Reconomy
Diane Crowe, group sustainability director at Reconomy, said: “We welcome the government’s commitment to accelerating the transition to a Circular Economy given the pressing need to maximise our resources. It follows the launch of our 10-point regulatory framework launched after the General Election last year to create a consistent regulatory environment within which businesses can operate and mitigate the negative environmental impacts of waste, including the waste streams prioritised by Steve Reed today such as textiles and plastics.
“Closing the circularity gap is essential if we are to tackle both the environmental and economic costs of waste. Innovation—like material passports and digital tracking—is already driving real change, but we need to see this momentum matched with a consistent and supportive regulatory framework that gives businesses the certainty to invest. A stable policy landscape will empower innovation to scale solutions, retain value from resources and reduce the environmental footprint of waste.
“We look forward to working closely with the government, the Circular Economy Taskforce and other businesses to realise our vision of a waste free world.”
A Plastic Planet
Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet and the Plastic Health Council, said: “It’s positive to hear Defra is set to announce a roadmap on plastic pollution this autumn and the acknowledgement that we must end the countries ‘throwaway society’. If the government is truly set on ending our linear ‘take-make-waste’ model talk must be transformed into tangible action. Many government speeches have pledged change on plastic and yet we are still waiting for any meaningful change.
“We need robust legislation that compels industries to redesign systems, not just recycle at the margins and prop up the profits of the oil giants who are set on pumping out toxic plastic unabated. The real test will be holding sectors accountable for systemic change that embraces systems of refill and truly natural materials, not just piecemeal improvements to so called waste management.”
United Kingdom Without Incineration Network (UKWIN)
Commenting on Reed’s comments that too much waste is sent to landfill and incineration, Shlomo Dowen of UKWIN, said: “Despite acknowledging how we need to move away from incineration and towards a circular economy, earlier this month the government granted planning permission for a mega-incinerator in North Lincolnshire despite admitting the facility might be surplus to requirements.
“We hope that at next week’s debate MPs will talk about the many problems of waste incineration and that in response the government will show leadership by halting new incineration projects while making crystal clear the risks investors will be taking if they proceed with already consented schemes that could become stranded assets due to increases in recycling and waste minimisation and alternative residual waste management options.”
WRAP
Keith James, a member of the Circular Economy Taskforce and head of public sector partnerships and policy and insights at WRAP, said: “We look forward to the publication of the Circular Economy Strategy this autumn, and regulatory roadmaps across the core industries of agriculture and food, textiles, the built environment, transport, and chemicals and plastics.
“We are already seeing the green roots of what is possible with a circular economy in these key industries in the UK.
“Innovation is driving developments in chemical recycling in plastics, Textiles 2030 is helping to transform more than 60% of clothes placed on the UK market and the UK Food and the Drink Pact is addressing our broken food systems. The UK is in prime position to build on these strong initiatives, and to learn from circular economies developing elsewhere in the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark.
“We welcome today’s announcement, which shows the scale of the UK’s ambition. Government, business and WRAP all want the same outcome from a circular economy – to future proof the economy with products built to last, to be used and repaired, and ultimately recycled into new products.
“Circular economy policies offer a critical boost to the UK economy of £18 billion per year and will improve resilience in a world in which we can no longer rely on importing 80% of our raw materials and where economic trade shocks are more common.
“We echo the need for a systemic shift to reuse, repair and innovation. Our recent report on displacement rates in fashion showed the impact that circular business models for repair and resale are already having in offsetting the sale of new clothes, and developing secondary markets addressing overconsumption.
“We will continue to support our industry and government partners to develop this green and healthy vision of a circular systems at scale through WRAP’s work, bringing circular living into every boardroom, and every home.”
The Environmental Services Association (ESA)
Executive director of the Environmental Services Association (ESA), Jacob Hayler, reacted: “ESA members have invested billions in circular economy jobs and infrastructure over the past two decades, moving the UK from a throwaway society to one where we now recycle nearly half of everything we throw away – putting millions of tonnes of materials back into productive use each year. With the right regulatory interventions, delivered correctly and consistently, our industry stands poised to invest a further £10 billion in the UK’s low-carbon circular economy over the next five to ten years, as the Secretary of State recognised today.
“These regulatory reforms include the long-awaited collection and packaging reforms, which the secretary of state also recognised, as well as measures to stimulate markets for secondary raw materials and crack down on waste crime. Long-term policy clarity and the right targeted interventions will help our sector deliver the next generation of circular economy innovations at scale, and help our sector play our critical role in delivering the government’s binding recycling and resource-efficiency targets.
“It is deeply encouraging that Defra, under a Labour government, shares our vision for a circular economy, particularly in recognising the benefits of a more resource-resilient UK economy on a volatile world stage, where supply chains for critical materials are far from guaranteed. We look forward to working alongside the Circular Economy Taskforce to create roadmaps for the critical sectors outlined by the Steve Reed today, although we urge Defra to add batteries and electronics to the sectoral work programme as quickly as possible – since these items are highly susceptible to availability of critical raw materials; are essential to our everyday lives; and currently cause major waste management challenges when thrown away instead of being recycled.”
National Association of Waste Disposal Officers (NAWDO)
The National Association of Waste Disposal Officers (NAWDO) has welcomed the secretary of state’s speech, particularly the focus on how businesses can play a more significant role in reducing waste, increasing reuse and repair and investing in new recycling infrastructure.
A spokesperson said: “Local authorities have long been calling for a greater role to be played by industry, supporting the efforts that have been made by councils for over two decades to find more ways to manage resources and waste more sustainably.
“NAWDO looks forward to engaging with the government, the resources industry and a wide range of other commercial sectors, so that the enormous potential for greater circularity can be unlocked in a way that encourages sustainable investment, benefits local communities, and inspires and engages citizens.”
Enfinium
Mike Maudsley, CEO of energy from waste (EfW) company Enfinium, said: “We welcome the government’s efforts to promote the transition to a circular economy that supports economic growth.
“Society must reduce and reuse the waste it produces, with state-of-the-art energy from waste plants stepping in to manage the unrecyclable waste that will persist for years to come.”
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