Environmental consultancy Resource Futures has published its first impact report highlighting its steps to tackle waste and renewed efforts to build a more resource efficient, sustainable future.
Resource Futures was re-accredited as a B Corporation in March; this certification is issued to businesses that balance purpose with profit being legally required to consider their social and environmental impact.
Resource Futures has an improved B Corp impact score of 117.6, up from 104.2 in 2016, underlining its efforts to address the climate and ecological emergency.
Impact figures illustrate the company’s significant achievements: 481,351 litres of paint being diverted from the waste stream through 68 Community Repaint schemes, 276 tonnes of waste and recycling hand-sorted for analysis for 39 local authorities and 11,200 tonnes per annum of waste and recycling diverted to reuse and recycling across six local authorities.
Notably, its assessment report for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has contributed to the ban of plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds due to come into effect in October.
Projects have been wide-ranging in 2019/2020. From supporting the Liberian Government to improve waste management services in one of the poorest nations in the world, to working with the International Solid Waste Association and the University of Leeds to reduce ocean plastics, and modelling food flows to assess where food wastage or surplus redistribution challenges occur.
“We’re delighted to be releasing our first impact report for the financial year 2019-20, the culmination of more than a decade of our commitment to creating a sustainable world,” said Sam Reeve, CEO at Resource Futures. “We are proud of our contribution as a business and by all of our people working with communities, policy makers, businesses and local authorities to effect sustainable change.”
You can read more about the Resource Futures impact report on its website.
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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.