UK businesses told to exploit opportunities in waste and recycling

‘Less is More: Business Opportunities in Waste and Resource Management’ is the result of a joint project between Defra and the Department for Business (BIS), working with the waste management sector and other industries. 

Launching the report, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said: “What’s good for the environment can be good for business. There are real opportunities for British companies who can lead the way in innovative product design and supply systems.”

The report makes a range of recommendations to help UK businesses exploit opportunities across the product supply chain, from design through to waste management.

Government wants to see more products that can be refurbished or repaired
One of the things the Government wants to promote and support is the development of new business models that encourage the design and production of products that can be refurbished or repaired, rather than simply replaced.  

Defra and BIS say they will work with businesses across a range of product sectors to identify the factors that make such models successful, and will also work with them to overcome any barriers to adoption.

Opportunities in developing markets in recovered materials
Another big opportunity identified by the report is in the development of new markets for recovered products – so that materials currently seen as waste come to be seen as a valuable resource for another process or sector of industry.

The report recognises that there are mature markets in several products already, including most metals, paper and glass, and significant opportunities in areas such as plastics, coloured glass and food waste.

It says Defra will continue to support work on the development of markets in recovered materials, led by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

Opportunities in waste collection from SMEs
One of the other business opportunities identified by the report is for the improved collection and sorting of waste from smaller companies and commercial premises, allowing the value in these materials to be recovered.

Defra is already involved in a number of initiatives in this area, including the trialling a range of different waste collection systems for SMEs, but the report suggests there “significant opportunities” to build on such examples. 

Manufacturing opportunities
There are also opportunities for British companies with a process engineering capacity to manufacture more of the equipment deployed in waste management infrastructure, it says.

The report is one of four pilot projects promised in the Government’s 'New Industry, New Jobs' report of April 2009, which called for closer collaboration between Government departments, more open discussions with business, and a focus on identifying the opportunities for British business in Government policy.

It promises that “the design and implementation of regulations and other Government interventions will be informed by dialogue and shared analysis with business, linking economic growth with environmental outcomes throughout the policy making process.”

Business Minister Pat MacFadden summed up: “The waste management sector has a real opportunity to use its expertise to deliver new services in resource efficiency and management.  

“Defra and BIS will join forces to work with industry to transform the perception of waste from a problem which has to be dealt with, to an opportunity to be exploited.”

WRAP issues report on benefits of recycling
This week WRAP issued its own global analysis on how recycling is faring against other waste management options. The report, 'Environmental Benefits of Recycling', which is an update on a report of the same name published in 2006, found that recycling was still  the best environmental option in the vast majority of cases. A key finding of the report was  that there were significant environmental benefits in recycling and reuse of textiles – but not enough research had been conducted into this area to date.

Related news:
Waste & recycling news
Resource efficiency news
Green production news

Related links:
www.bis.gov.uk
www.defra.gov.uk
www.wrap.org.uk