Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 23
23
Accepted
Existing waste transfer data collection remains fragmented and uncollated centrally.
Recommendation
The Department believes its waste tracking project will provide significantly more data to understand how waste is recycled and to ensure waste exports are legal and meets its waste export requirements. At present, data on waste transfers are recorded by waste operators in disparate systems and in diverse and unconnected ways, sometimes on paper and without sharing beyond the two parties to a specific waste transaction. Large amounts of data are either not collected or not collated centrally anywhere.49 The Department told us the waste tracking project will track waste from start to finish digitally, making it harder for waste crime to occur.50
Government Response Summary
The government agrees to the recommendation, outlining plans to make the waste tracking service publicly available in 2024 and mandatory through legislation by April 2025. It also commits to addressing data gaps by publishing new statistics by July 2024.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: April 2025 6.2 In 2024, the waste tracking service will be publicly available to users on a voluntary basis – this is expected to happen in phases with specific groups of users being invited to use the service over time. Green list waste exports are the first phase to have successfully transitioned to private beta at the end of 2023. 6.3 From April 2025, legislation will come into force across the UK, subject to approval across all four legislatures. The requirements of the regulations will be mandatory from this point and service charges will also be payable. This will provide the foundations for capturing information on waste generated and treated, including waste recycling. The Government response of the consultation outcome is published on Gov.UK. 6.4 The department is currently developing a Data Strategy, identifying and filling gaps around the required regular ongoing data to run policy and monitor progress within the Resources & Waste Strategy and Environmental Improvement Programme. This includes progress against targets in residual waste and municipal recycling rates and, if necessary, introducing legislation for new data reporting requirements. 6.5 The department’s key performance metrics are publicly reported and updated at least annually where possible. These form the core part of the 'Monitoring Progress' reports and track strategic priorities in the Resources & Waste Strategy. 6.6 The department is increasing the number of regular published statistics and from this year it will be up to at least 11 publications which is an ambitious target. Later in 2024, the department intends to address key data gaps by publishing new statistics on: • Residual waste by material type, to assess progress against the residual waste target, planned for May 2024. • Municipal recycling, using a new definition of Municipal Waste, probably July 2024. • Drivers of consumption-based carbon emissions, probably June 2024. 6.7 The department is also collecting new survey data as part of the Resources & Waste Strategy Evaluation Programme, which will give us valuable new insights as policies are implemented.