The research work which looks at the state of recycling in the UK was announced by Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at November's Waste Summit. And the Performance and Innovation Unit (PIU) has now named its research team who will assess the state of waste management and recycling in the UK.
The PIU research will provide an independent review of the probability of the UK meeting both domestic and European recycling targets. If the research finds that targets cannot be met, the team will draw up an action and funding framework of what needs to be done to enable the UK to comply. This will include looking at the potential magnitude of additional funding as well as priority areas for action and funding. The research will also identify current weaknesses in understanding the waste streams.
The PIU team is lead by Paul Hollinshead, an analyst at the Cabinet Office, and includes Anne Hemming of the waste strategy division, DEFRA, Ray Georgeson, director of policy and communications at the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and Jane Price of the Institute of Wastes Management. The research team is also made up of PIU analysts and economists.
Comments
The team is currently compiling a detailed project plan and is asking for comments on its scoping note and views on the questions it aims to answer. These can be seen on the Cabinet Office's website. Over the next few months, the PIU will gather information on waste and recycling in the UK and will carry out a period of consultation in the spring. A final report including options for change and priority areas for action will be produced in Summer 2002.
Mr Hollinshead, said: “We are currently agreeing a project plan with government about what to cover and when, which I expect will be agreed in the next couple of weeks. We invite comments and have already got quite a lot of comments in. We welcome suggestions on how recycling can be increased, but we don't just want people to say that recycling needs to increase, we need to know how this can be done.”
An advisory group has been set up to support the core research team which will enable the team to draw on industry expertise as required. Margaret Beckett MP will chair the advisory group, which is made up as follows:
Stephen Aldridge – chief economist, PIU, Cabinet Office
Michael Averill – group chief executive, Shanks Group
Richard Bird – director of environment, energy and waste, DEFRA
Richard Brown – senior environmental official, HMT
Vic Cocker – chair, Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)
Dirk Hazell – chief executive, Environmental Services Association
Simon Hewitt – head of waste strategy, DEFRA
Lester Hicks – senior official on waste planning, DTLR
Martin Hurst – Prime Minister’s Policy Directorate
Alistair Keddie – senior environmental official, DTI
Paul Leinster – director of environmental protection, Environment Agency
Andy Moore – co-ordinator, Community Recycling Network
Geoff Mulgan – director, Performance and Innovation Unit, Cabinet Office
Robin Murray – economist, London School of Economics
Councillor Kay Twitchen – Essex County Council
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