Opinion: The UK has a choice to make. A circular economy can be treated as another layer of waste policy, or it can be embraced as a driver of economic growth, investment and jobs. With the Circular Economy Growth Plan for England expected imminently, the government has an opportunity to make that choice clear.
At the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI), we believe circularity must sit at the heart of the UK’s economic strategy. Done right, it can strengthen domestic manufacturing, reduce environmental impact and support skilled jobs in communities across the country.
The UK paper-based sector already demonstrates what a circular economy looks like in practice. Paper is made from bio-based, renewable materials. It is widely recyclable, biodegradable, and part of one of the most established circular systems in the UK. This is not theoretical; it is a working model, delivering environmental and economic value every day.
But it is also a reminder that circularity does not happen by accident. It depends on the right policy framework.
Today, that framework is still evolving. The government has rightly prioritised long-overdue reforms to the UK’s waste and resources system, from Extended Producer Responsibility to Simpler Recycling and Deposit Return Schemes. These are essential building blocks of a more circular economy.
However, they do not operate in isolation. Together, they form an interconnected system that shapes material flows, infrastructure investment, and consumer behaviour. If they are not aligned, or delivered on time, they risk creating uncertainty, inefficiencies, and unintended consequences for businesses and consumers alike.
The Circular Economy Growth Plan must therefore act as more than a statement of ambition. It must provide a clear, coherent roadmap that aligns these policies, identifies gaps, and gives industry the certainty needed to invest.
That certainty matters.
While circular systems deliver long-term environmental and economic benefits, meanwhile, linear models continue to benefit from an uneven playing field, where wider environmental and societal impacts, from waste to emissions to public health, are not fully reflected.
If the UK is serious about circular outcomes, this imbalance must be addressed. Policy should actively support materials and systems that are renewable, recyclable, and already proven to work at scale.
Circularity is not just an environmental imperative, it is also an economic opportunity.
The UK paper industry contributes £15 billion to the economy and supports over 115,000 jobs, many in regions that have faced industrial decline. With the right policy signals, sectors like ours can attract further investment, drive innovation, and position the UK as a global leader in circular manufacturing.
But this requires partnership.
Delivering circularity at scale cannot be achieved by government or industry acting alone. It depends on collaboration across the entire value chain, from producers and retailers to local authorities and consumers. Encouragingly, there are already examples of this approach in action. This collaborative approach must now be embedded at the heart of the Growth Plan. Crucially, the debate must move beyond false choices. Reuse and recycling are not competing systems, they are complementary tools, each with a role to play in maximising resource efficiency.
As CPI convenes industry leaders and policymakers for our Collaborating for Circularity roundtable with the Minister for Nature, Mary Creagh, the focus will be on a simple but critical question: what is still preventing circularity, and how do we remove those barriers?
The UK has the foundations of a circular economy. Now it needs the policy framework to match.
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