Responsibility for resource management should sit within Defra where expertise on waste and materials is strongest according to a report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).
Presented yesterday (July 9) at the Resource Association conference in London, the report calls for the establishment of an Office for Resource Management (ORM) within the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
The report claims the office is needed because responsibility for waste policy is currently spread throughout Whitehall, with government departments such as BIS, DECC, DCLG, HM Treasury and the Department for Transport all taking on various responsibilities in this area.
Policy diversification like this can result in limited accountability and lack of strategic coordination or oversight for an issue, the report states.
This call for an ORM to be established within Defra comes in contrast to recent calls for the Department for Business Innovation & Skills (BIS) to lead on waste and resources policy.
A House of Lords science and technology committee (see letsrecycle.com story), the Institute of Civil Engineers (see letsrecycle.com) and another report published yesterday by the UK manufacturers organisation EEF (see letsrecycle.com story) have all said that BIS would be better placed to take on responsibility for waste and resources policy.
Overloaded
However, the IPPR report argues that BIS is an overloaded department with too many existing responsibilities.
Elsewhere, the report calls for greater financial penalties such as an increase in landfill tax for landfill disposal once economic recovery has been established, and to lobby for EU best before food labelling regulations to be scrapped in favour of use by date labelling to reduce food waste.
Author of the report, IPPR research fellow Mark Rowney, presented the document The Wasteline: Redefining waste and improving resource management policy at the Resource Association conference yesterday, which focused on resources, jobs and growth in the circular economy.
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Mr Rowney said that data on waste and resources in the UK was woefully lacking, adding that the first priority for his proposed ORM within Defra would be to construct detailed mapping and modelling of material flows in the UK.
He explained that better data would improve investor confidence while helping to combat the commodity risk and volatile prices in the sector. Mr Rowney said: I dont understand how any industry with that level of volatility can plan for the future.
Dan Rogerson
IPPRs call for the waste brief to remain within Defra appeared to be backed by waste and resources minister Dan Rogerson, who also spoke and took questions at the conference.
Responding to a question on where departmental responsibility sits on waste and resources, Mr Rogerson said: For a point of clarity it is in my job detail and no one else, so the buck stops here. But there is no way you can work in isolation. In terms of moving towards a circular economy, that is very much something that Defra would lead on.
He added: The important thing is that government departments work together. I am not saying that we get everything right all the time, but I am gratified to say that Defra should remain the lead over this.
‘For a point of clarity it is in my job detail and no one else, so the buck stops here. But there is no way you can work in isolation. In terms of moving towards a circular economy, that is very much something that Defra would lead on.’
Dan Rogerson, waste and resources minister
Mr Rogerson also responded to comments from Somerset Waste Partnership managing director Steve Read that recycling rates in England were suffering in comparison to Wales.
The Defra minister said: First of all, Wales are doing well which is great. We need to keep an eye on where we are and keep the pressure on in England. The number of local authorities is much bigger and more complicated [in England] than in Wales. It is about looking at how we can support best practice. There are an awful lot of people who are very happy to recycle if we get the message out there.
Conference
Addressing conference attendees earlier in the day, Resource Association chief executive Ray Georgeson explained that it was well known that policy changes were needed in the sector to boost jobs and growth in recycling, reuse and the circular economy.
He said: Every day I think there is a growing consensus in our industry about the changes that are required.
Speaking later, Eunomia principal consultant Chris Sherrington called for reform to environmental taxation, explaining the move towards a circular economy and a reduction in the risk to businesses of volatile commodity prices could be achieved by shifting the tax burden towards resources instead of labour.
He advocated introducing a system of index-linked resource efficiency bonds to encourage resource efficiency, which he said would be difficult, but could help improve investor confidence and enable the waste and recycling industry to plan for the future.
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