05Dec

Industrial Strategy recognises recycling

Posted on 5th December, 2017

The government’s recently released Industrial Strategy has given a push to work on recycling as well as moves towards a circular economy.

Launched at the end of November, Prime Minister Theresa May said: “Our modern Industrial Strategy will shape a stronger and fairer economy for decades to come. It will help create the conditions where successful businesses can emerge and grow, and support these businesses in seizing the big opportunities of our time, such as artificial intelligence and big data, whilst also making sure our young people have the skills to take on the high-paid, high-skilled jobs this creates.”

Some in the recycling and waste sector were worried that the document might ignore recycling. But it contains several references to recycling and resource use.

This includes not only a commitment to move towards a circular strategy but also the pledge to raise “the resource productivity of businesses, including through the promotion of recycling and strong secondary materials markets where products are designed with efficiency and recyclability in mind.”

The section of the Industrial Strategy linked to the circular economy and the waste and resources strategy due out in 2018 look to be aligning with the European Commission’s circular economy proposals which are nearing completion.  Among its other promises today within the Industrial Strategy, the government said that it would be  “working in partnership with food businesses ‘from farm to fork’, through the Courtauld Commitment to deliver a 20 per cent per capita reduction in food waste by 2025”.

 

(Picture: Shutterstock)