Industry

Industry writes to government over waste infrastructure ‘gap’

An industry group comprising members of the waste and resources industry – predominantly those that operate waste treatment facilities – has written to government highlighting the need for investment in waste treatment infrastructure in the UK.

The group – comprising the Environmental Services Association (ESA), the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), SITA UK, Veolia Environmental Services UK Plc, Cory Environmental Services Ltd, Grundon Waste Management Ltd, the Renewable Energy Association (REA) and Ricardo-AEA – warned ministers in the departments that have responsibility for some aspect of waste that there is an ‘infrastructure gap’ for waste facilities. Consequently, they are calling on government to boost investment in recycling facilities – particularly in facilities that handle commercial and industrial (C&I) waste.

The letter draws attention to a recent Green Investment Bank (GIB) report ‘The UK residual waste market’, which highlights the infrastructure gap in the UK waste and resources sector, and the need for investment. (However, critics, including anti-incineration campaigners UK Without Incineration (UK WIN), have argued that the GIB report seems to ‘seriously underestimate’ the capacity that currently exists/is under construction, whilst ‘significantly overestimating the quantities of residual waste that would require treatment’. Environmental consultancy Eunomia has also recently published evidence showing that the UK could soon have treatment ‘overcapacity’.)

Writing on behalf of the industry group, Barry Dennis, Director General of the Environmental Services Association (ESA), said: ‘Contrary to the views of a vocal minority, the UK is heading for a significant capacity gap for residual

waste treatment. A number of recent reports have given forecasts of the scale of works still be completed [sic] and have ranged in conclusion from almost “job done” through to a requirement of many more millions of tonnes of facilities over the next 10 years and beyond….

‘Given this range of uncertainty the parties to this letter consider it necessary to confirm their jointly agreed understanding of the works still required to be completed.’

Dennis said that as ‘very little infrastructure has or is being built to service… residual waste arising from the commercial and industrial sector’, the group believes government should launch ‘a coordinated investigation into how we can deliver the critical waste treatment infrastructure that Britain needs’.

He states that this would ‘unlock investment, jobs and growth and would keep waste management costs down across the UK thereby supporting the rest of the productive economy’.

The letter was sent to ministers inthe following departments:

  • the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra);
  • the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS);
  • the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG);
  • the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC); and
  • The Treasury.

Read the full letter to government.