Newly appointed waste and resources minister Dan Rogerson should start his period in the post by aligning English recycling targets with those of Scotland and Wales, according to Philip Ward chair of consultancy Resource Futures.
And, Mr Ward said, the minister shouldnt be afraid to go beyond EU requirements for recycling and should stop the system exploiting local authorities duty to collect waste.
The comments came in an open letter to new waste and resources minister Mr Rogerson who was appointed to the position last week (see letsrecycle.com story). The letter was presented at the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC) Conference and Awards 2013.
Welcoming the minister to his post, Mr Ward said it was a relief to have someone in the post with an understanding of resource issues and he hoped Mr Rogerson would be able to provide the leadership that this important brief requires.
He added that Mr Rogerson should start by aligning English recycling targets with those of Scotland and Wales as it would be helpful to have a common goal, something which the UK is missing at the present time.
Discussing how it would help, he said: Does having a common goal help? My conclusion is that yes it does if the goal is achievable and if it is properly supported. One of the things I will say more about is I dont think we are in the situation where we have a common goal which is supported and what is happening is people are going off in different directions.
Mr Ward said there were a number of key areas which the minister should focus policy on. They included:
- Develop a long term vision and build cross party support to give confidence to investors and inspire others;
- Set achievable milestones and incentives their achievement;
- Respect natural cycles landfill and incineration break cycles and should be avoided where possible;
- Stop the system exploiting local authorities duty to collect waste and make producer responsibility real;
- Get hold of the draft waste prevention plan and give it some ambition the plan was put out for consultation in August (see letsrecycle.com story); and,
- Recognise that success depends on public engagement and behaviour change.
Offering advice to the minister, Mr Ward said: Dont be afraid to go beyond European requirements if that is what is best for us. At the same time dont be afraid to work with Europe.
However, he added that the UK needs to work hard if it is going to meet the European recycling targets. It [the recycling rate] is levelling off and has been hovering in the low 40s for a while which is a bit of a problem because we need acceleration if we are going to get to the minimum target by 2020.
Industry welcome
Dan Rogersons appointment has been widely welcomed by the waste industry. The Environmental Services Association (ESA) said it looks forward to working with the minister.
Barry Dennis, ESAs director general, said: As Co-Chairman of the All Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group, Dan Rogerson clearly has a strong interest in our sector. ESA looks forward to working closely with the new Minister in the same way as the industry did with his predecessor.
Mr Dennis concluded by thanking Lord de Mauley for his work with the industry over the last 12 months.
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The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) also showed its support. Chief executive Steve Lee welcomed Mr Rogerson to his new portfolio. We will be seeking an early meeting to impress upon him the need for government leadership and vision on waste and resource efficiency. With the right support, our industry has a significant contribution to make to economic growth and jobs, resource and energy security, and progress towards a circular economy.
We also hope that Mr Rogerson’s appointment is the beginning of a period of stability, ensuring that the important issue of waste and resource management remains a strong focus for Defra and other key government departments with a waste remit.
