a vision for change – Inside track

This post is by the Rt Hon Steve Reed MP, secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs.

Moving the UK to a circular economy is a fundamental part of the government’s national Plan for Change, and a priority for me as secretary of state for the environment.

We need a seismic shift, with innovation and collaboration to help deliver real change in communities across the country.  It’s unacceptable that recycling rates have stagnated for a decade and far too much waste goes to incinerators or piles up in landfill sites.

It’s not just about reducing waste
Moving towards circular resource management is not simply about reducing waste but reshaping our economy.

Towns and cities in every region will feel the benefit of new investment to keep materials in circulation for longer and boost the rental, repair and resale sectors. External analysis suggests circular economy policies have the potential to boost the economy by £18 billion a year, every year.

A circular economy is a more resilient economy. Recent disruptions to global supply chains from the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine make it clear we can no longer rely on importing 80 per cent of our raw materials from abroad.

Moving away from our current throwaway society can deliver not only economic security for our communities but national security too.

Investment is needed in circularity
The transition means business, government and communities will need to work together to develop new technology, infrastructure and jobs.

That is why I have set up a Circular Economy Taskforce, to bring together experts from government, industry and academia to create the best possible environment for investment.

The taskforce will focus on the five priority sectors that will make the biggest difference: agri-food, chemicals and plastics, construction, transport and textiles. It will publish England’s first Circular Economy Strategy this autumn, setting out sector specific regulatory roadmaps to kickstart the shift away from the old single use model.

We are tackling the waste epidemic
The UK’s waste problem is vast. We throw away £22 billion of edible food and burn 12 million tonnes of council-collected waste each year. Astonishingly, UK landfill sites cover an area the size of Greater London. This is bad for the environment, bad for society and bad for the economy.

Our reforms will reduce the unimaginable scale of this waste. Businesses and the public already have an enormous appetite to call time on our throwaway society, and government support can make a difference. In 2014, the charge on single use plastic bags cut their use in large supermarkets by 98 per cent, and bans on single use plastics, such as cutlery and polystyrene cups, has reduced litter on our streets, rivers and beaches.

These policies had overwhelming public support, now we must build on this momentum. That is why we have introduced:

• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging later this year, incentivising businesses to cut waste and improve recyclability.
• A standardised national recycling strategy in England, to end postcode confusion about what to recycle and ensure households, workplaces and businesses will all be able to recycle the same set of core materials.
• A Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers, launching in 2027.

These three reforms alone should give recycling companies confidence to invest £10 billion in new UK circular economy infrastructure over the next decade, creating over 21,000 jobs. This illustrates perfectly how the circular economy can bring real benefits to people across the country.

I know some businesses have remaining concerns about the impact of some of these reforms. We are listening and will make sure the changes work for businesses.

That is why we are:

• Appointing a business-led body to make sure new packaging reforms work for producers.
• Providing clear fee structures for EPR to give businesses certainty.
• Removing mandatory labelling requirements to avoid trade friction with the EU.
• Giving the Food Standards Agency powers to ensure the suitability of recycling processes to produce food-grade recycled plastics for trade, maintaining high UK standards.

And, beyond labelling, we will:

• Ban disposable plastic vapes from June.
• Make online retailers and vape producers pay their fair share for recycling electronic waste.
• Invest £15 million to reduce farm food waste and support families in need.
• Set strict new regulations on energy-from-waste plants so they work better for local communities and maximise value.

We are putting the UK back in the race
In recent years, countries like Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands have left the UK behind in the transition to a circular economy. Our strategy will create the right conditions for businesses to innovate and thrive, putting the UK back in the race.

The time for change is now. By embracing circularity, we can build a stronger, more sustainable, and resilient economy. One that benefits businesses, communities and the planet.