The Growth Plan was originally due to be published in Autumn 2025 but was delayed to “early 2026” and later “Spring 2026”.
An open letter addressed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for the plan to be released “as soon as possible”. Signatories include Suez, Reloop, Back Market, the Restart Project, The Green Alliance and CIWM.
The letter stated: “We are writing as businesses, NGOs and community groups to urge you to release the delayed Circular Economy Growth Plan as soon as possible.
“This would bring major benefits for people around the UK, and the UK economy.
“There is incredible political and public support for measures to keep our products in use for longer – repair, refurbishment and reuse in particular…continued delays to Government policy in this area put these benefits at risk.”
Circular Economy Growth Plan
The Circular Economy Growth Plan is set to create a roadmap for five key areas:
- Textiles
- Transport
- Construction
- Agri-food
- Chemicals and plastics
It is thought that each roadmap will include specific actions, timelines, and policy recommendations to drive circularity within the sector.
Notably, it is predicted that the growth plan will include guidelines for the creation of an Extended Producer Responsibility system for textiles (tEPR) – following the same policy step having been taken in the EU.
The textiles sector has advocated for a tEPR scheme for many years as it continues to face extremely challenging market conditions.
The growth plan is based on the work of the Circular Economy Taskforce, which was formed in December 2024.
The taskforce includes senior figures from across the waste and recycling sector, including representatives from Suez, CIWM, WRAP, and the CPI.
The letter concluded: “Since the General Election in July 2024, supported by the external expertise of the Circular Economy Taskforce, a huge and welcome amount of cross-Government effort has been committed to the Circular Economy Growth Plan.
“To now deliver the benefits of this work for businesses and the public, we urge you to publish the plan as soon as possible.”
Sarah Horner, UK and Ireland Director of circular economy non-profit Reloop, which is a signatory of the letter, added: “Reloop is supporting calls for the release of the Circular Economy Growth Plan to support businesses and consumers and to protect our wider resource security.
“World events have only strengthened the case for action. The Middle East crisis has underscored the urgency of reducing wasteful material use, securing domestic materials through recycling, and reusing resources that have already been extracted from the natural world.
“Reloop has provided evidence to the Circular Economy Taskforce and seen first-hand the expertise and commitment that has gone into this process. While progress on policies such as the Deposit Return Scheme is welcome, it must be accompanied by a broader, economy-wide plan to deliver the greatest benefits.
“The Government must prioritise this as a matter of urgency following the May elections.”
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