Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 19
19
Deferred
Waste prevention programme lacks concrete measures and detailed implementation timelines.
Recommendation
The Department published a waste prevention programme for England in July 2023.38 It selected seven sectors to improve reuse and recycling, including textiles, waste electric equipment and batteries. The Department told us it plans to put out a consultation shortly on waste electricals and batteries to consult on improvements to the current schemes. For the seven sectors, the Department told us it has set out a vision and approach, but does not have long-term detailed timeline on when change will be implemented.39 The Environmental Services Association, a trade body representing up to 85% of the resource and waste management industry told us in written evidence that the government must implement far more concrete measures on waste prevention if we are to eliminate avoidable waste of all kinds by 2050.40 Waste infrastructure capacity
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the amended recommendation to double resource productivity but states that long-term policy pathways and metrics for resource efficiency are challenging and not yet agreed. It commits to further research and will write to the committee in early 2025 to explain its approach, effectively deferring concrete action.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
4.1 The government agrees with the Committee's recommendation. Target Implementation date: Early 2025 4.2 The department's agreement and response to the recommendation 4 is on the basis that the above recommendation is amended to ‘...meeting its ambition to double resource productivity’ as agreed with the Committee via email on 25 January. 4.3 The Resources and Waste Strategy states ‘we want to increase the material efficiency of production and manufacturing processes, as part of our strategic ambition to double resource productivity by 2050’. The department therefore intends to increase the material efficiency of production and manufacturing processes. Improving resource efficiency increases productivity, cuts carbon emissions and enhances resource security. 4.4 On resource efficiency measures, it is challenging to model potential future policy pathways in the long-term as future policies are highly uncertain and will be the decisions of future governments. The exact make-up of any future policy pathway will be a combination of measures to get waste up the waste hierarchy, including waste reduction, reuse and repair activities. The Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) laid out the department’s plans for maximising resources and minimising waste, and in July 2023, the department published the Maximising Resources, Minimising Waste (MRMW) Programme in England which sets out the department’s priorities for action to manage resources and waste, in accordance with the waste hierarchy, that will help deliver increased resource efficiency. In late 2024, the department will consult on several MRMW textile waste policies that aim to increase the amount of unwanted textiles that is reused or recycled and reduce the amount that is disposed of in the residual waste stream. 4.5 The Environment Act 2021 target to ensure that residual waste (excluding major mineral wastes) does not exceed 287 kg per person by the end of 2042 can be achieved through waste prevention, resource efficiency, and recycling of unavoidable waste. The department recognises the desire to see an additional target that reduces material resource use and improves productivity and continue to investigate this. 4.6 Options for reducing use of material resources have been explored through research on policies to improve resource efficiency in collaboration with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). This research focuses on 11 sectors. Findings from four sectors have been published already (Unlocking Resource Efficiency) and further research is planned regarding how legislation related to warranties and guarantees can be used to encourage increased repair and extend the use of products. 4.7 The department’s research to date has not identified a clear policy pathway for significantly reducing the effects of resource extraction and use on the natural environment, which was assessed through a resource productivity metric. Similarly, metrics for monitoring how new measures achieve resource efficiency savings have not been agreed. 4.8 The most impactful policies will be considered following completion of the research projects listed above and agreement on metrics for monitoring resource efficiency. The department will write to the Committee in early 2025 to explain the above recommendation.