28th July 2015
With former Secretary of State Sir Eric Pickles out of DCLG and into his new post-election role of anti-corruption tsar, the brakes appear to be lifted off the previously taboo subject of waste collection frequency.
17th July 2015
Green and Responsible Conservatism, a new report from Bright Blue, purports to show “how the centre-right of British politics could better embed sustainability and long-termism within the UK economy”. In truth, a preference for market mechanisms and incentives over prescriptive policy instruments is hardly the sole preserve of the right; there are not many recommendations here that would make a left-winger
13th July 2015
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s recent report – Delivering the Circular Economy: A Toolkit for Policymakers is a welcome addition to the growing literature on the circular economy.
10th July 2015
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation continues its sterling efforts to mainstream the circular economy concept in Europe with a report titled Growth Within: A circular economy vision for a competitive Europe. Analysing three European sectors — food, mobility, and the built environment — the report identifies their current inefficiencies in terms of material use and wastage. It also examines strategies to
29th June 2015
On 25 June, I joined four other panellists in a debate on “Circular Economy: what should ‘ambition’ look like?” – a session in the CIWM, ESA and Resource Association’s two-day conference Resourcing the Future 2015 – Austerity or Ambition?
16th April 2015
Waste-watchers scouring the main parties’ 2015 election manifestos for evidence of a “Damascene conversion” to the circular economy and resource efficiency will find lean pickings, and probably view what little there is with a degree of cynicism. The Labour party manifesto makes no mention of our sector, instead concentrating its environmental pledges on carbon reduction and energy management in the
28th January 2015
The news that Edinburgh is to roll out two pilot schemes addressing recycling in flats will be welcomed by waste-watchers concerned over the UK’s stalling recycling rate. High-rise and multi-occupancy housing pose by far the greatest challenge to the design and logistics of collection systems for recyclates. With some 80 per cent of the UK’s population living in urban settings,
26th January 2015
January saw the publication of a report entitled Employment and the circular economy – job creation in a more resource efficient Britain. This, in my view, is the most sophisticated study to date into ways that the circular economy could stimulate jobs and growth in the UK. Drawing on labour market statistics and patterns of employment at national and regional
9th January 2015
The latest edition of WRAP’s recycling, re-use and repair tracking survey (December 2014) identifies recycling attitudes and behaviours that support many of the findings of two SITA UK-sponsored reports: The Ur[bin] Issue (improving urban recycling performance) and Lifting the Lid (student attitudes and behaviours towards recycling). In these reports, we highlighted clear messaging, harmonised collection systems and effective community engagement as
17th December 2014
Yesterday (16 December 2014), the European Commission withdrew the so-called “circular economy package”, developed by the previous Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik, amid cries of “shame” from MEPs assembled in the European Parliament. The package was withdrawn for two reasons: the “principle of political discontinuity”, a notion that, judging from the reaction of many MEPs during the parliamentary debate, evidently puzzled
