Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 38
38
Increasing resource productivity by reducing the amount of resource that is extracted to make new...
Conclusion
Increasing resource productivity by reducing the amount of resource that is extracted to make new products will be crucial to reducing the damaging impact of extractive industries on the environment and safeguarding scarce resources that are vital to a low-carbon economy. Improving the long-term price certainty of recycled materials will help recyclers invest in more capacity and improved process. (Paragraph 150) Electronic Waste and the Circular Economy 65 Recommendation 24
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
The Government notes the importance of stimulating the use of more recycled materials in products and is considering a range of policy options to achieve this ambition. Under existing Ecodesign powers, the Government is able to set regulations for a range of electrical products mandating minimum resource efficiency standards. These relate to aspects such as durability, reparability and recyclability, but could also be extended to include requirements for the materials that go into the product. Last year BEIS published a Call for Evidence seeking views on how Ecodesign policy can be improved for a range of energy-related products in the UK to maximise their energy and resource efficiency. BEIS and Defra have also jointly commissioned research into which products have the greatest potential for resource efficiency improvements. Evidence gathered from these workstreams will form the basis of our Ecodesign policy in the future. We will also explore, as part of our review of the WEEE Regulations, how embedding eco-modulation of producer financial obligations can support wider ecodesign policy by incentivising manufacturers to go even further in designing more sustainable products. In developing this policy, we will consider which criteria could be used to form the basis of the modulation, including any potential for recycled material content to be included in this criterion. We will seek views on eco-modulation as part of our consultation on reviewing the Regulations.