Fifth Report - Government’s programme of waste reforms
Select Committee
Public Accounts Committee
HC 333
1 December 2023
Recommendations
1 results
19
Deferred
Waste prevention programme lacks concrete measures and detailed implementation timelines.
Recommendation
The Department published a waste prevention programme for England in July 2023.38 It selected seven sectors to improve reuse and recycling, including textiles, waste electric equipment and batteries. The Department told us it plans to put out a consultation shortly …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the amended recommendation to double resource productivity but states that long-term policy pathways and metrics for resource efficiency are challenging and not yet agreed. It commits to further research and will write to the committee in early 2025 to explain its approach, effectively deferring concrete action.
HM Treasury
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Conclusions (2) Observations and findings — click to expand
17
Conclusion
Deferred
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 (the use …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's observation (after amending it), acknowledging that identifying clear policy pathways and agreeing on metrics for resource efficiency remain challenging. It commits to further research and will write to the committee in early 2025 to explain the recommendation, effectively deferring concrete action on setting a target.
18
Conclusion
Deferred
Stakeholders, including Green Alliance which provided us with written evidence, are concerned that government has not given waste prevention and re-use sufficient priority.36 The Department told us that it aims to push waste up the ‘waste hierarchy’ over time. The waste hierarchy ranks waste management options according to what is …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's observation (after amending it to focus on resource productivity), but states that developing clear policy pathways and agreeing on metrics for resource efficiency remain challenging. It commits to further research and will write to the committee in early 2025 to explain the recommendation, deferring concrete new policy actions on waste prevention/re-use.