The North East Hampshire MP was appointed last night (6 September) as Environment Secretary as part of the first cabinet of the new Prime Minister, Lizz Truss.
He joins as the government’s consultation responses for consistent collections and a deposit return scheme are still in waiting, and fears over the implementation timeline of extended producer responsibility grow.
Stalled
John Scanlon, chief executive officer of Suez recycling and recovery UK, congratulated Mr Jayawardena on his appointment, but urged him to give “renewed momentum” to the “stalled” extended producer responsibility and consistency in waste and recycling collections reforms.
Mr Scanlon explained: “These reforms are essential to creating the more circular economy that is necessary not only for our net zero ambition, but also for the resilience of the UK economy.
“At Suez it’s not in our nature to stand by – we have already begun work on changes to our infrastructure and services to reduce the carbon impact of managing our customers’ waste. However, prompt clarity on the long-awaited detail of these reforms will speed up investment across our sector, boosting green jobs and supporting a coherent, managed transition to a socially responsible, resource efficient economy where we create less waste, keep resources in use for longer and recover energy from materials at the end of their useful life.”
CIWM
Elsewhere, Lee Marshall, policy and external affairs director at the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), also called for government “focus” on legislation.
He explained that the CIWM has “always had a close working relationship with Defra, and we look forward to building on that with these new appointments”.
Mr Marshall added that the resources and waste sector is “at the heart of the circular economy and we want to help Government move the UK towards a much more circular way of thinking”.
He said: “The Resources and Waste Strategy was a bold statement of intent, and we hope that Defra will now be focused on delivering on this plan in order to move the world beyond waste.”
Appointment
When news of the appointment broke last night, many took to Twitter to welcome the new Environment Secretary.
One of the first was Paul Vanston, chief executive of the producer association INCPEN, who also touched on the importance of working together on the implementation of legislation.
Congratulations Rt Hon @ranil, new Secretary of State @DefraGovUK
Delighted that I & @INCPEN work with you on implementing the #PackagingReforms initiated by @theresecoffey & @michaelgove, and which aim to turbo boost & level-up #recycling performance across all areas of the UK. https://t.co/JJltdCgtZ9
— Paul Vanston 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 🏳️🌈 (@PaulVanston) September 6, 2022
Magaret Bates, the executive director of the On Pack Recycling Label (OPRL), also urged the new minister not to “overlook” the sector amid other pressing environmental issues.
Dont forget recycling and resource management – often overlooked but vital to our health, our economy and our environment
— Margaret Bates (@Wastereader) September 7, 2022
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