Here, Philip Simpson, commercial director of the PDM Group and a member of the industry working group that helped inform the Government, discusses the strategy, its achievements and shortfalls.
In many ways, the AD plan has achieved a great deal. The steering group first came together back in January and although demand for anaerobic digestion was soaring, the industry was – and still is – very much in its infancy. So, Defra should be commended for bringing the industry together and getting all the ducks in a row. By that, I mean gathering intelligence on the current barriers to both industry development and greater uptake of AD. With these building blocks in place, the sector will have a strong foundation of evidence and knowledge from which to accelerate its growth.
But, at the same time, this phase of knowledge gathering is a frustration to those already operating the organics recycling sector as wed like to see faster action in developing the infrastructure and feedstock to recycle all the food waste generated across the UK. Many feel a key element in achieving this should be a legislative driver to make the recycling of organic materials mandatory. However, this doesnt have Government support, where the focus is on greater information, awareness and communication to drive increased participation in food waste recycling and therefore in AD.
Barriers
The action plan has successfully addressed some of the major barriers to the industrys development such as launching a fund via WRAP to add stimulation, as well as a focus on financial incentives. However, where the plan falls short is in looking at the more complex areas such as handling the biogas produced and the adoption of biomethane as a transport fuel. These are two areas where there was a real opportunity for a delivery strategy.
Some of these industry disappointments can be attributed to the short-termism nature of Government and a desire for achievable milestones to demonstrate delivery and results, rather than a 5 10 year step by step roadmap that would achieve the ultimate objective of eradicating food waste from landfill.
In essence, the plan will be a support to the industry, however what it doesnt demonstrate is how the industry moves forward from where it is today to be able to provide local recycling solutions for food waste. The action plan in reality is small steps, rather than one big leap for AD.
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