Submissions are in for the various Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ and HM Treasury’s consultations on the Resources and Waste Strategy, and now we must wait for their reaction and response. The future strategy is a vital one – one that will drive us towards the 12-year deadline to help stop global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. So no pressure then!
In its response to the recent Government consultation on a possible DRS, LARAC has firmly stated that a DRS in the UK should be deferred until after policies on EPR and Consistency have had a chance to work. LARAC added that deferring will also allow proper research into the full implications of a DRS in the UK.
LARAC has welcomed the broad definition of full net cost recovery that is proposed in the recent consultation on EPR for packaging. LARAC has fought hard to highlight the funding deficiency of the existing PRN system, with local authorities currently covering 90% of the costs of dealing with waste packaging. LARAC has expressed concern about the use of reference costs within the consultation and is seeking greater clarity on their intended use as there is a danger that they go against the concept of full net cost recovery.
Recent media focus highlighting the impact on our environment by us, centres around the need for everyone including private business, public sector and residents to do more.
LARAC has offered broad support for large parts of the consistency consultation but opposes the introduction of mandatory free garden waste collections. LARAC members were very strong in their rejection of this proposal and believed charged for garden waste services will still contribute strongly to a 65% recycling rate. LARAC supports the introduction of food waste collections but is keen to hear how the Government intend to fund this new burden.