Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 20
20
Accepted
Insufficient clarity in waste policies impedes investment in recycling infrastructure.
Conclusion
The North London Waste Authority, Mura Technology Limited and Suez, which invests in or builds the necessary new recycling infrastructure, provided us with written evidence explaining that they need more certainty, clarity and granularity about the Department’s long-term policies on resource and waste management if they are to meet deadlines, targets and make investment decisions.41 Without this there is a risk of 35 C&AG’s Report, para 13, 1.9, 1.20–1.21 36 GRWR0032; C&AG’s Report, para 13 37 Q 57; Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs, Guidance on applying the Waste Hierarchy, June 2011 38 Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs, The waste prevention programme for England: Maximising Resources, Minimising Waste, July 2023 39 Qq 39–41 40 GRWR0007 41 GRWR0006; GRWR0012; GRWR0015; C&AG’s Report, para 20 Government’s programme of waste reforms 15 insufficient recycling facilities to deal with the increased volumes of recycling arising from the reforms. If new infrastructure is not developed there is a risk that the packaging will be disposed of by incineration or landfill, or exported for other countries to deal with.42 This also increases the risk of illegal export of waste overseas, which we examined as part of our session on Government actions to combat waste crime.43
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the implied need for more policy clarity regarding waste management infrastructure and plans to publish the first part of the 'Waste Infrastructure Roadmap' by April 2024 to signal investment needs.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: April 2024 5.2 The department is in the process of finalising analysis to enable publication of the first part of the ‘Waste Infrastructure Roadmap’. This will set out anticipated waste arisings to 2035, reflecting Defra’s Collection and Packaging Reforms (Simpler Recycling, extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR) and a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers), mapping this modelling against known waste management infrastructure for various waste streams, including organic wastes, and dry recyclables (paper/card, glass, metals, and plastics). The department is also preparing detailed analysis regarding residual waste management infrastructure. 5.3 Once published, the intention of the first part of the ‘Waste Infrastructure Roadmap’ is to provide a signal to investors as to where there is considered to be a likely over or under- provision of waste management capacity to target investment. However, the first part of the ‘Waste Infrastructure Roadmap’ will not detail where or how investment should be made and is meant to be a tool to support investors and local authorities in decision making. The department will be exploring what more could be done beyond signalling in due course. 5.4 Those looking to invest in waste management infrastructure are encouraged to engage with the UK Infrastructure Bank. 5.5 The department intends to publish this analysis in April 2024.