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Waste policy, government thinking one year on..
This week saw the publication of the government's overdue review of waste policy in England. Its launch has been notable perhaps for the chorus of condemnation by an unusual mix of trade associations, retailers and campaign groups.
Most of the criticism has been over the document's lack of ambition. There's some truth in this. There's an awful lot of rhetoric and meaningful intentions on the creation of a zero waste economy but without the concrete policy framework which will deliver this grand political vision.
Despite this, there is a notable shift in thinking in some key areas. Whereas in the past government's focus has been predominately focused on household waste, there is a welcome new focus on improving business waste collections. EEF has long argued that a lack of cost-effective, accessible waste facilities has undermined attempts by smaller manufacturers to manage their wastes more sustainably. The work underway to encourage local authorities to open up their facilities to manufacturers is long overdue and welcome.
There are other pledges which we will need to consider in more detail. Potential bans on the landfilling of wood waste sound sensible, but we know that some manufacturers can struggle to find buyers for their wood unless it has been through some labour-intensive preparation. Textiles and biodegradable wastes may also be banned in landfill sites in future. Clearly this can only happen once a national network of facilities is in place to divert these materials to.
The need for regionally relevant waste infrastructure is an issue EEF has pushed government to consider in the past. It is no secret that our waste infrastructure is yet to be fit for purpose. It is therefore welcome that the government has confirmed that there will be a new duty on local authorities "to cooperate" on in the Localism Bill. This may go some way to address concerns about the impact of scrapping Regional Development Agencies on regional waste infrastructure planning.
Landfill tax is also set to further increase. A new base rate of £80 per tonne has been announced for 2014-15. Other commitments include potentially increased packaging targets on packaging producers in the next few years and the promise of a new Waste Prevention Programme sometime in the future. We will also need to monitor plans to drive waste prevention through product design and standards. The government can go further to help manufacturers improve their resource efficiency and make it easier for you to manage your waste more sustainably.
Knowsley Authors
Lesley Martin-Wright
Chief Executive, Knowsley Chamber of Commerce.
Lesley Martin-Wright is the newly-appointed chief executive of Knowsley Chamber of Commerce.
Gaynor McGrail
Director at Knowley payroll services firm i_Paye.
Gaynor McGrail is co-founder of i-Paye, which offers payroll and financial services help for contractors, freelancers and self-employed professionals. She founded the company in 2005 with her husband Shaun and last year it topped the LDP Business Hot 100 list of the region's fastest-growing businesses.
Manufacturing Authors
Tony Caldeira
Managing Director, Caldeira Cushions.
Tony Caldeira is managing director of Caldeira Cushions. The company operates manufacturing sites both in Merseyside and in China.
Edward Moss
Public Relations and Communications, Manufacturing Advisory Service.
Edward Moss, Public Relations and Communications, Manufacturing Advisory Service.
The Manufacturing Advisory Service (www.mas-nw.co.uk)offers manufacturing companies practical, hands-on support in all aspects of manufacturing to help achieve improvements in productivity and competitiveness. Since 2002, MAS North West, which is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and delivered in the region by The Manufacturing Institute, has helped manufacturers to generate financial returns totalling ã739 million and to safeguard 8790 jobs. The Manufacturing Institute (www.manufacturinginstitute.co.uk) is an independent charity - driven by manufacturers for manufacturers. For 15 years, The Manufacturing Institute has helped transform manufacturing performance, working with over 4000 companies to gain competitive advantage from high impact skills building and productivity improvement programmes.
David Ost
North West regional director for EEF
David Ost, North West regional director for EEF.
David Ost is the North West regional director for EEF, the organisation for manufacturing, engineering and technology-based businesses, which operates a regional office in Warrington.
Property Authors
Chris Johnson
Managing Partner, Smith & Sons in Birkenhead
Chris Johnson is managing partner of Smith & Sons in Birkenhead. The firm is one of Merseyside's most prominent commercial property agencies and property auctioneers.
Andrew Owen
Head of business space, Mason Owen
Andrew Owen is head of business space at Liverpool commercial property agency, Mason Owen. The firm operates across the UK with a number of high profile clients.
Maritime Authors
Stuart Wood
Former Liverpool senior pilot interested in the maritime world
Stuart Wood, former Liverpool senior pilot, retired last June after 41 years holding his pilotâÂÂs licence. He interested in all aspects of the maritime world, principal of which is his perpetual love affair with the River Mersey.
Jim Teasdale
Chief Executive of Mersey Maritime
Jim Teasdale is chief executive of Mersey Maritime, overseeing all activities including marketing, lobbying, business development, and training and education. He was formerly chief executive of Birkenhead-based Laird Foundation, a centre of Vocational Excellence in Marine Engineering, and also represented Sea Vision UK in the North West region. Mersey Maritime lobbies for the Merseyside's maritime cluster.