Rishi Sunak has today (27 October) confirmed funding for separate food waste collections in his Autumn Budget statement, asserting that over £300 million will be invested into the implementation of the infrastructure across every local authority in England by 2025.
Initially proposed in the Environment Bill 2020, the Government claims that the mandatory separation of collections will see the amount of collected food waste increase nationally by 1.35 million tonnes by 2029.
The funding for collections is the most significant announcement of spending allocated to the waste and resource management sector within a budget that professes not to draw a line under Covid, but rather to begin the work of rebuilding an economy post-pandemic.
Prior to the announcement of the funding, the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC) has raised concerns that the deadline of 2025 would prove challenging for local councils. Although there is widespread support for expanding the separate collection of recyclable waste, the details of how this will be implemented remain an issue.
Notably, there is uncertainty about how to deliver separate food waste collection for flats and estates, as well as the provision of additional education and outreach. It remains to be seen whether the funding pledged will be sufficient to address these issues.
Further announcements made within the statement that pertained to the waste and resource management industry included funding for research and innovation in support of net zero. According to the Budget, £75 million will be allocated to finding carbon-neutral solutions, with Defra coordinating the cross-industry initiative, which aims to involve players across the agriculture; soils and peat; waste; and land use sectors.
The Budget 2021 is available in full on the government website.
John Scanlon, chief executive officer for SUEZ recycling and recovery UK said: ‘Close inspection of the budget reveals a series of announcements such as tax relief for heat networks, funding for research and innovation to support net zero in waste amongst other sectors, and increased funding for Defra. Taken together with last week’s early announcements of funding for food waste collections and the first two carbon capture and storage clusters, these measures will support a more circular and decarbonised sector, underlining the role of waste and resources in the UK’s journey to net zero.’
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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?
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