It wouldn’t be breaking news to say that summer is very much over! With the weather taking a significant turn for the worse and most people back at their desks, it can only mean one thing... conference season is here!
In just a week’s time, we have the big one... the LARAC UK Conference & Celebration Awards 2024. Building on last year’s event, we’re looking forward to seeing hundreds of local authority and industry representatives descend on two days of talks, workshops, and even a trip out to the new Sherbourne Material Recycling Facility (MRF), in Coventry. Policy, of course, is very much on the agenda!
Last month, RWM took place at the NEC, and the high quality of the presentations has been well documented. For us, it was the first year for the LARAC Lounge, a space for sponsors and members to visit for a coffee and a catch-up on all things local authority waste and recycling! A really productive and enjoyable couple of days, and one that we hope to build on in 2025.
Policy work has continued to ramp up through September, all-be-it with mixed results. On the positive side, LARAC has engaged with DEFRA on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and the LAPCAP payment methodology and DEFRA has been quoted as saying that EPR will be introduced on time. On the flip side, news that mandatory labelling will no longer be required from 2027 is a big blow to the circular economy aims of the reforms and hinders local authority efforts to increase recycling rates and meet the still to be determined efficient and effective criteria in EPR.
On 24 September, LARAC hosted a webinar on Collecting Non-Household Municipal (NHM) Recycling and Food Waste that helped to highlight and address some of the challenges for local authorities in relation to this collection type and the upcoming requirements. It also highlighted a number of lingering questions and gaps in information, not only relating to EPR and Simpler Recycling, but further policies including progress of Digital Waste Tracking and cost pass down from the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
Meanwhile, the devolved administrations have continued to keep us busy. Responses have been submitted to the proposals to change subsistence fees for materials facilities in Scotland, and changes to the lower rate of Landfill Disposals Tax in Wales, whilst we continue engage with our members on the charging for single-use disposable beverage cups in Scotland, three new and two amended standard rules permits in Wales, as well as the newly launch consultation on the proposed new code of practice on sampling and reporting at materials facilities in Northern Ireland.
The majority of these run deep into November, but before then, we’ll see you at the LARAC Conference in Birmingham on 9 and 10 October!
