Lord de Mauley calls for move up waste hierarchy

And, hesaid there was a need for the government to remove barriers and create markets in order to make this a reality.

The comments came at the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) annual conference entitled Supporting growth, economy, regeneration which took place in London today (November 6).

Other speakers at the conference included: Liz Goodwin, WRAP chief executive; Mike Barry, head of sustainable business at Marks & Spencer; Matthew Spencer, director at Green Alliance; and, Paul Flatters, chief executive of Trajectory Partnership.

In one of his first speeches to the waste and recycling industry, the newly appointed Minister (see letsrecycle.com story) praised WRAP and the industrys work but said more needs to be done if the UK is to achieve sustainable management of its resources.

Following a recent visit to the WRAP headquarters in Banbury, Lord de Mauley said he was impressed by the innovation in the marketplace as well as WRAPs work to promote it. He added that he was still learning about the waste and recycling sector but would aim to continue the good work of his predecessor Lord Taylor, who he acknowledged was well liked.

Lord de Mauley added that he was convinced of the ability of WRAP and the waste and recycling sector to deliver the economic growth needed while improving the environment.

He said: “If we can keep our economys resources higher in the waste hierarchy we can retain their economic value to the benefit of all in the UK. And we can market this work beyond our shores too. There are opportunities for organisations, here in the UK, to market skills and innovation globally; saving costs, gaining competitive advantage and helping us deliver sustainable growth.

Barriers

However he said that a more collaborative approach was needed between the government and businesses if the UK is to achieve growth and ensure the long term resilience of UK business and economy.

He said: Government needs to do what we can to help remove barriers, create markets and promote the growth we aspire to. I am particularly excited about the Waste Prevention Plan we will be developing over the course of the next year. There are many wonderful ways we can treat waste as a valuable resource, but never letting the stuff that forms our economy become waste in the first place is clearly the highest priority.

But it isnt just, or even mainly, about government. Businesses are best placed to make the necessary changes that will move us towards a sustainable economy.

Concluding his speech Lord de Mauley explained that in his new position he will continue to follow the work of the industry, and WRAP, which helps to deliver the sustainable economy that the UK desires.

WRAP

Also speaking at the conference Ms Goodwin highlighted the economic and environmental benefits of achieving a circular economy. However she also noted the barriers such as lack of access to investment could cause problems.

She said: As well as the need to stimulate growth, there is also increasing recognition that resource efficiency and security are critical to future economic competitiveness and resilience for countries and companies alike. And the circular economy is a key player in achieving both.

A move towards a circular economy can indeed contribute to growth, resilience and competitiveness.

Ms Goodwin added that WRAP had a unique role to play in delivering resource efficiency as it could act as a bridge between the public and private sectors in a bid to drive change.

M&S

Meanwhile Mike Barry from M&S said that according to WRAP research, approximately 19% of the UKs resources are in a closed loop cycle. He added that if this is to increase further then big businesses and big government must lead the way in order to set an example that will encourage consumers to act in a more sustainable way.

Mr Barry added that the businesses such as M&S need to make it easy for consumers to do the right thing.