Stewart – ‘Benefits of recycling’ need a push

And, the minister also highlighted the need to get a message about the benefits of recycling over to the public.

Speaking a little under 12 months since his first address to the sector at the CIWM, ESA and Resource Association Conference in June 2015, where he outlined his ambition for the UK to ‘lead the world’ on recycling (see letsrecycle.com), the minister returned to the same platform this morning, albeit with a more measured message after a year in office.

Admitting that the found himself ‘slightly more ground down’ than a year previously, Mr Stewart said that he had picked up on the importance of listening to industry in that time, repeating his call for discussion between government, industry and other stakeholders on future policy direction (see letsrecycle.com story).

“The key thing is to work out what a sensible government strategy will be,” the minister commented, adding: “One thing I have always been pleased to do is to sit around a table with you and challenge you to come up with ideas. In the end the government won’t know as much about your sector as you do.”

Challenges

The minister also outlined what he claimed are the ‘two major challenges’ faced by the waste and resources sector, namely effectively communicating the benefits of recycling to the public and developing ‘practical’ solutions to take the industry forward. He added that government would seek to provide an ‘enabling strategy’ to develop a circular economy.

“One thing I have always been pleased to do is to sit around a table with you and challenge you to come up with ideas. In the end the government won’t know as much about your sector as you do.”

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Rory Stewart
Defra minister

During the question and answer session that followed his address, the minister asked delegates to offer their views on which policies they would pursue in office. Suggestions from delegates included support for local authority recycling communications, as well as tax incentives for the use of recycled products in newly manufactured goods.

In recent months, industry leaders have called for a greater level of leadership from government (see letsrecycle.com story), but the minister warned that the government is extremely unlikely to look to policies that have been untested elsewhere.

Legislation

He cited the example of the government’s plastic bag levy, which had been introduced in Wales and Scotland before Defra opted to approve the measure in England, as an area where the government had examined results in other countries before acting.

And, he dismissed any suggestion on tax benefits for recycling ‘pull’ measures, such as discounts for recycled content in products, adding that discussion on taxation would be led by the Treasury, which would require ‘clear indication’ of the potential effects of a policy.

“It is incredibly important that anything to do with to do with taxation is done by the Treasury. If I am to talk about taxation a hand will protrude from above and cuff me. We would need to understand how that would work and what effect that would have.”