The guide is the latest in a suite of re-use projects that have been delivered over the past two years, and focuses on how to include one or more material streams in HWRC contracts at local authority or contractor managed sites.
Independent environmental consultancy Resource Futures has delivered the research on behalf of WRAP and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Guide
With case studies and on-the-ground examples featured throughout, the guide addresses the procurement business case and process for re-use at HWRCs.
Setting out the drivers and influencing factors for re-use, the project also analysed the challenges, such as budget risks and operational issues, before assessing the potential benefits drawn from financial savings, performance improvements, social gain and environmental protection.
The guide is primarily aimed at local authorities and their partners that are funding or running HWRCs, but it will also help social enterprises, charities, and other potential partners to gain an understanding of the local authority procurement process.
The document notes that ‘re-use is a key part of the shift towards a circular economy, which is likely to impact significantly on service provision by local authorities across the UK’.
It defines re-use as a product that has not been discarded and is not waste being re-used, and as such not being subject to waste controls. The guide also touches on ‘preparation for re-use,’ which it defines as “the activity of checking, cleaning and repairing items discarded as waste,” in order for the item to be re-used.
Research
The team at Resource Futures undertook detailed research into procurement methods and approaches to provide a ‘shopping list’ of option scenarios and critical success factors to help local authorities develop their case for HWRC re-use. The guide concludes with information on incentives, monitoring and evaluation.
Speaking about the project, Emma Clarke, re-use specialist and senior consultant at Resource Futures, said: “To deliver this project, we collected a wealth of data and undertook market research. This allowed us to build the procurement guide showcasing best practice examples and practical measures that local authorities can undertake to ensure successful procurement.
“It is not an easy process, as procurement never is, but with re-use as a key element of the waste hierarchy and its multiple financial, social and environmental contributions, the guide shows how it can become part of any council’s waste procurement and management strategy.”
Re-use
Mrs Clarke added: “Looking UK-wide, we can see that re-use activity at HWRCs is variable in terms of commitment and performance, particularly since the public sector cuts began to impact on local authorities’ spending allocations.”
Jude Andrews, from WRAP, commented: “WRAP and Defra were aware that local authority waste departments often struggled to persuade procurement colleagues that including re-use in new contracts was worthwhile.
“This project was commissioned to meet a need for local authorities following a consultation. Resource Futures have done a great job of working delivering this project and we hope that local authorities will find this useful.”
Related Links
The ‘How to include re-use in local authority HWRC procurement’ guide
Register for free to comment