The UK’s ‘largest resource efficiency and waste management event’, RWM in partnership with CIWM, has begun today (16 September).
Running for three days until 18 September, the free-to-attend event aims to push progress in the resource industry and help professionals forge new connections with peers.
Held in the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, the ESA-supported conference is taking place in Halls 4 to 5 at the NEC, Birmingham, and is co-located with The Water Event, The Energy Event and The Renewables Event.
Over the next few days, over 200 resource efficiency and waste management professionals will speak in more than 70 seminars across four theatres in the free, CPD-accredited conference programme.
The Local Authority Theatre will focus on legislative issues, strategy, and best practice in various aspects of municipal waste management; The Energy from Waste Theatre brings together a balance of opinions from waste companies, technology owners, and other stakeholders to forecast the evolution of technology and the size of the market; The new Circular Economy Connect Theatre will address issues confronting the circular economy and investigate those who can best benefit from the circular model (it will also look at designing for circularity and remanufacture); and the UKTI International Business Theatre will showcase successful export case studies and offer advice on how to enter specific markets overseas.
Key issues to be addressed in the conference include packaging and packaging recovery notes (PRNs), waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), the latest legislation, the circular economy, financing infrastructure, and waste prevention.
A range of speakers are scheduled to attend the event, including: Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government; Professor Walter Stahel; Dr Liz Goodwin, Chief Executive Officer at WRAP; Andy Rees, Head of Waste Strategy in the Welsh Government; David Palmer-Jones, Chairman at the Environmental Services Association (ESA) and Chief Executive Officer of SITA UK; and Ray Georgeson, Chief Executive at the Resource Association. Full programme agendas for the theatres can be found online.
The event will also see more than 750 exhibitors share their latest products and services at RWM, including plant and vehicle suppliers JCB, aluminium reprocessing company Novelis Recycling, plastics recycler ECO Plastics, and collection and cleansing company Dennis Eagle.
Find out more about RWM in partnership with CIWM 2014.
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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.