It has recently been confirmed that the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) will be losing 27.9 per cent of its funding from Defra in 2011/12. In 2009/2010, WRAP received £48.1 million from the department, but 2011 will see that figure drop to £34.7 million.
And the cuts won’t stop there. In accordance with the government’s spending review, Defra will reduce WRAP’s funding by a further 8.36 per cent in 2012/13, down to £31.8 million, and then again to £30.1 million for both 2013/14 and 2014/15. In 2009/10 WRAP received a £3 million grant and a one-off £4.4 million grant to fund anaerobic digestion (AD) from Defra. Both of these grants have now been abolished.
A spokeswoman for WRAP reassured that the AD programme was still to take place, but that “the axing of the capital [would be] most felt in organics”. Still, WRAP representatives have said that the 29 per cent “axing” was in line with their expectations and Liz Goodwin, WRAP Chief Executive, is confident that the programme will find the support necessary to ensure its continuation: "We are pulling together an ambitious business plan for the next four years – we're confident it will be sufficiently resourced by our four key funders to deliver the necessary impacts to help the UK become more resource efficient.”
WRAP has stated that it receives “significant funding” from the Welsh Assembly government, Scottish government and Northern Ireland Assembly and that it will seek support from its partner organisations and councils in light of government cuts.
WRAP has indicated that its focus on communication may now shift, as the public are seemingly much more aware of waste matters. Instead, business waste, product design and water pollution will become more prominent focus areas for the organisation. Indeed, with the imminent retirement of Phillip Ward (Director for Local Government Services) approaching in March, the future of WRAP may well be destined for significant change.
As well as the drastic cuts to WRAP’s funding, Defra also confirmed that there would be a six per cent cut in the budget it usually offers to the Environment Agency. The agency received £199.9 million in 2010/11, compared to £187.9 million it will receive for 2011/12. This figure will continue to diminish, with further cuts to £182.1 million in 2012/13, to £173.3 million in 2013/14 and to £167 million in 2014/15.
Defra itself is expected to reduce its administration costs by £174 million during the four years covered in the spending review, and has publically acknowledged that with such cuts thousands of people may lose their jobs from this sector.
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.