While the Department recognises the importance of waste prevention and reuse, it is not clear what its plans are for meeting its target of doubling resource efficiency by 2050. The government considers that most of the damage to the environment from waste could be avoided at the design and production stages by considering the materials used in production and the ease with which products can be reused or repaired. It has an ambition to double resource efficiency by 2050. Stakeholder’s concern is that government has not given waste prevention and re-use sufficient priority. The Department has selected seven sectors to improve reuse and recycling, including textiles, waste electric equipment and batteries. It has set out a vision and approach, but what is lacking is a clear plan to understand when decisions need to be made by to ensure it is feasible to achieve the ambition of doubling resource efficiency by 2050. Government’s programme of waste reforms 7 Recommendation 4: Within the next 12 months the Department should write to the Committee to explain: • What measures it expects to introduce next (within the next five years) to encourage waste prevention and reuse; and what contribution it expects these measures to make to meeting its target of doubling resource efficiency by 2050. • Which measures it expects could make the biggest contribution overall to its target of doubling resource efficiency by 2050, and how long it expects it will need to prepare for and implement these changes.