“Will it be the catalyst to improve recycling we hope for”?
A cornerstone of the Governments strategy to create a more circular economy is the introduction of “simpler recycling”. Standardisation of collection for both domestic and commercial properties has been a perpetual debate within Local Authorities and commerce for some years now so this future consistency must be welcomed.
For domestic properties much progress has already been made on the segregation of materials with perhaps only the introduction of mandatory food collection and a separate paper/fibre stream being the notable change. The paper industry lobby will certainly be pleased with this latter decision; however, it is important that Authorities are sufficiently funded for this extra cost, that the improved quality of the material is reflected in its sale value and that the majority is used in UK mills.
For Local Authorities the focus is now around the “extended producer responsibility” funding model and I’m guessing that all over the Country officers are analysing whether the Extended producer responsibility funding offered will be sufficient to deliver the service and ultimately reach the targets the Government has set.
For the commercial and industrial customers “simpler recycling” will require a minimum four-stream approach with a residual, a dry mixed recycling including fibre (after a TEEP test), food and glass. This now mandatory approach for commercial properties to separate their waste is going to drive considerable change. The implications of segregation will be felt both in the quantity of residual waste and its properties as well as in the quality of recyclables.
The full impact of the introduction of “simpler recycling” will only be realised if the authorities can ensure effective compliance. “Digital waste tracking”, which is now sadly likely to be delayed, would have created the necessary data to prove that commercial properties are adhering to the regulation and allow active policing.
Experience tells us that in the UK we seem to react faster to cost rises than regulation. The imposition of the landfill tax has made arguably the greatest impact on our behaviour and the move away from landfilling has been impressive. However, its impact has seen the build out of Energy from Waste plants which have soaked up most of the former landfill stream rather than it being diverted to recycling.
Therefore, I think that it is more likely that the introduction of the carbon tax in the form of the emission trading scheme (ETS) with an impact of circa £40 – £60 per ton on residual waste gate fees from 2028 will accelerate a greater shift to recycling for both domestic and commercial waste than the simpler recycling regulations. This tax impacts both Local Authorities as well as commerce in the pocket and as history shows us that this is when behaviours really change and in this case for the better!
