The government has published a new plan that sets out how it intends to reform waste management in England over the coming years.

There are currently comprehensive waste management policies in England which, taken together, deliver the objectives of The Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 - to protect the environment and human health by preventing or reducing the generation of waste, the adverse impacts of the generation and management of waste, and by reducing overall impacts of resource use and improving the efficiency of such use. It is not, therefore, the intention of the Plan to introduce new policies or to change the landscape of how waste is managed in England. Its core aim is to bring current waste management policies under the umbrella of one national plan.

This Plan supersedes the previous waste management plan for England and provides an overview of waste management. The plan includes changes to waste management plan requirements that have been made by the Waste (Circular Economy) (Amendment) Regulations where these could be incorporated in the Plan.

Minister Rebecca Pow commented:

“The government’s overall approach to resources and waste is one of moving away from the current linear economic model of take, make, use, throw, towards a more circular economy which keeps resources in use for longer so that we can extract maximum value from them. Our goal is to maximise the value of the resources we use, minimise the waste we create and therefore avoid emissions from the waste sector, driving us towards our target of net zero emissions by 2050.

“Our Resources and Waste Strategy published in 2018 builds on the commitments in the 25 Year Environment Plan and sets out the policies that will help achieve its vision. The Strategy contains five strategic ambitions: to work towards eliminating food waste to landfill; to double resource productivity; to work towards ensuring all plastic packaging placed on the market is recyclable, reusable or compostable; to eliminate avoidable waste of all kinds; and to eliminate avoidable plastic waste.

“It sets the framework that will help government, businesses and the public to play their part in reducing the impact of our consumption and the resulting waste on the environment.”

Pow continued:

“Through our landmark Environment Bill, we will take the powers necessary to deliver on many of the commitments in the Resources and Waste Strategy, such as to reform the UK packaging producer responsibility system and introduce greater consistency in recycling collections in England.

“During the lifetime of this Waste Management Plan, we will see significant changes in the way we manage our waste going further to improve recycling rates. Effective waste management can reduce carbon emissions from the waste sector contributing to government’s net zero target and a green recovery.

“Together with the Resources and Waste Strategy, this Plan will play its part in embedding sustainable thinking around waste management and bringing about a real step change in how we consume resources, protecting the planet’s natural capital for the benefit of us all – both now and in generations to come.”

Read the full Waste Management Plan here.