From waste to resource management: a discussion paper

Abstract

Dealing with society’s waste is one of the major environmental challenges facing the UK. A fundamental change in approach is needed if the UK is to avoid implementing less than sustainable solutions in the race to ensure compliance with both current and forthcoming EC regulations. This discussion paper presents a new way of thinking about waste in order that the UK can use natural resources more efficiently and minimise the impact on the environment. It concludes that a new mindset is needed that focuses not on waste but on resource management in
order to:

• mitigate the environmental impact of society; and
• maximise the associated economic development opportunities.

The paper proposes that changes in approach are needed at all levels to deliver resource management on the ground. The following practical key steps are identified as essential to success:

• Adopting a general understanding of resource and waste management that will lead to practicable and sustainable outcomes different from today’s solutions.
• Engaging the process chain involved in the life cycle of goods and products at all points along the design-production-consumption–waste management sequence.
• Establishing resource recovery systems based on key resource streams, integrating the household, commercial and industrial sectors.
• Embedding land-use planning within this approach, by making implementation easier through the identification of land for ‘resource parks’ and undertaking property intervention where required. Recommendations are also made concerning key actions required by the main players from national to local levels, in order to create the climate
where the vision can be brought in to reality.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Bob Lisney: orcid.org/0000-0001-6795-814X

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