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– The economic advantages of waste prevention and circular economy are emphasised far more strongly by the Scottish and Welsh than by England and Northern
Ireland.
– Resource security forms a central part of the rationale for waste prevention in all
the plans.
– There is a strong emphasis on business taking up the challenge itself, rather than
waiting for further policy initiatives, particularly from England and Northern
Ireland.
– There is little money available from government to facilitate action.
– The Scottish and Welsh have set waste reduction targets (additionally to recycling targets), although the actions suggested are not explicitly linked to progress
towards the targets.
– Targets are for waste reduction, rather than for the value to be recouped through
circular economy approaches.
Other than the targets, when scrutinised in detail, the proposed actions of the four
countries of the UK are not greatly divergent, but there are signifi cant differences in
language and tone. The Scottish Plan is most fi rmly aligned with the language of the
circular economy, has strong political backing for the idea and has some of the most
practical actions. These include the establishment of the Scottish Institute of
Remanufacture at Strathclyde University, and the Resource Effi cient Scotland service, which integrates advice to businesses on water, energy and materials, the fi rst
of its kind in the UK. Scottish Government is also considering Resource Utilisation
Assessments which could develop into ‘mass balance’ exercises (helping businesses
to understand inputs, outputs and consequent resource effi ciency). Scotland has the
advantage of building on legislation put in place in 2012, to require sorting of
recyclable wastes by businesses. This was designed to create more certainty around
supply of recyclates which, in turn, is hoped will generate demand for secondary
materials, and there is a target 70 % recycling and maximum 5 % to landfi ll by 2025
for all Scotland’s waste.
A test of the economic policy relevance is that circular economy is part of
Scottish Enterprise’s business strategy. The Scottish Government also sponsored a
2015 report by Green Alliance in partnership with the Scottish Council for
Development and Industry detailing circular economy opportunities for three key
sectors – Oil and Gas, Food and Drink, and Finance (Benton 2015 ), demonstrating
the extent to which circular economy is seen as potential contributor to growth.
In Wales, the circular economy is tied up with a political commitment to future
generations in a way that is probably unique in the world. The Welsh goal of ‘One
Planet Living’ drives intervention and the key metric is ecological footprint reduction (NAWRS 2011 ). Separate recovery of materials from source is considered the
best way to reduce the footprint (particularly the carbon component): this differs
from the preference of many local authorities in England to collect recyclables
together, or ‘co-mingled’. To foster re-use, electronics are being kept whole wherever possible through source segregation.
J. Hill
– The economic advantages of waste prevention and circular economy are emphasised far more strongly by the Scottish and Welsh than by England and Northern
Ireland.
– Resource security forms a central part of the rationale for waste prevention in all
the plans.
– There is a strong emphasis on business taking up the challenge itself, rather than
waiting for further policy initiatives, particularly from England and Northern
Ireland.
– There is little money available from government to facilitate action.
– The Scottish and Welsh have set waste reduction targets (additionally to recycling targets), although the actions suggested are not explicitly linked to progress
towards the targets.
– Targets are for waste reduction, rather than for the value to be recouped through
circular economy approaches.
Other than the targets, when scrutinised in detail, the proposed actions of the four
countries of the UK are not greatly divergent, but there are signifi cant differences in
language and tone. The Scottish Plan is most fi rmly aligned with the language of the
circular economy, has strong political backing for the idea and has some of the most
practical actions. These include the establishment of the Scottish Institute of
Remanufacture at Strathclyde University, and the Resource Effi cient Scotland service, which integrates advice to businesses on water, energy and materials, the fi rst
of its kind in the UK. Scottish Government is also considering Resource Utilisation
Assessments which could develop into ‘mass balance’ exercises (helping businesses
to understand inputs, outputs and consequent resource effi ciency). Scotland has the
advantage of building on legislation put in place in 2012, to require sorting of
recyclable wastes by businesses. This was designed to create more certainty around
supply of recyclates which, in turn, is hoped will generate demand for secondary
materials, and there is a target 70 % recycling and maximum 5 % to landfi ll by 2025
for all Scotland’s waste.
A test of the economic policy relevance is that circular economy is part of
Scottish Enterprise’s business strategy. The Scottish Government also sponsored a
2015 report by Green Alliance in partnership with the Scottish Council for
Development and Industry detailing circular economy opportunities for three key
sectors – Oil and Gas, Food and Drink, and Finance (Benton 2015 ), demonstrating
the extent to which circular economy is seen as potential contributor to growth.
In Wales, the circular economy is tied up with a political commitment to future
generations in a way that is probably unique in the world. The Welsh goal of ‘One
Planet Living’ drives intervention and the key metric is ecological footprint reduction (NAWRS 2011 ). Separate recovery of materials from source is considered the
best way to reduce the footprint (particularly the carbon component): this differs
from the preference of many local authorities in England to collect recyclables
together, or ‘co-mingled’. To foster re-use, electronics are being kept whole wherever possible through source segregation.
J. Hill