The consultation, launched by WRAP, seeks feedback from businesses, investors and stakeholders across the waste and resources sector, ahead of the publication of a final plan later this year.
The draft plan has been developed as a sector-led roadmap aligned with the work of the UK Net Zero Council.
It aims to provide a shared framework for decision-making, outlining the actions that can be taken by the sector itself, alongside the policy, infrastructure and investment support required from government and other industries.
The plan has been developed in partnership with a Steering Group, made up of ADEPT, CIWM, Enfinium, Environmental Services Association (ESA), FCC Environment, NAWDO, Suez, and Wood Recyclers’ Association (WRA).
Reducing the waste sector’s emissions
According to the consultation document, the resources and waste sector has already reduced its emissions by around 60% over the past three decades, primarily through landfill diversion, improved recycling and better landfill gas management.
However, the sector still accounts for approximately 6% of UK greenhouse gas emissions and faces increasing pressure to support the UK’s net zero targets.
The draft transition plan argued that further progress will require coordinated action across the waste management chain, as well as wider changes to product design, resource use and consumption patterns.
The consultation sets out five principal areas contributing to the sector’s emissions profile and identifies corresponding actions to address them:
- Reducing biodegradable waste sent to landfill
- Increasing landfill methane capture
- Diverting plastics from Energy from Waste (EfW) facilities
- Capturing fossil carbon from EfW through carbon capture and storage
- Transitioning collection and transport fleets to zero-emission vehicles
The document estimates that between £29bn and £40bn of investment will be required to deliver the necessary infrastructure and operational changes.
While ESA members have already committed around £10bn towards recycling infrastructure, the plan notes that significant funding gaps remain for fleet electrification and EfW decarbonisation projects.
Resource and Waste Sector Net Zero Transition Plan consultation
Stakeholders are being asked to review the draft pathway and provide feedback on the proposed priorities, actions and timescales.
The consultation seeks views on whether the plan accurately reflects the sector’s emissions challenges, whether the proposed interventions are realistic and achievable, and whether the identified dependencies on government policy and external infrastructure have been appropriately assessed.
Respondents are also invited to comment on the assumptions underpinning the modelling, the scale of investment required and the sequencing of actions needed to reach net zero by 2050.
The consultation will help refine the final version of the transition plan before it is presented to government and the Net Zero Council.
Responses to the consultation must be submitted by 23 July 2026.
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