Ray Georgeson Larac 2009 Presentation
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Transcript of Ray Georgeson Larac 2009 Presentation
LARAC 2009Where have we come from –
recycling over the last 20 years
Ray Georgeson
Ray Georgeson Resources
Resource and waste industry professionals specialising in policy and strategy, communications, research, facilitation and stakeholder engagement
Working with local authorities, UK Government and its agencies, the private and third sectors, European Commission, NGOs and other European governments
Knowledge across the spectrum of resource efficiency, climate change, resources management and sustainable development
Based in the North, but with an international perspective
Twenty years in ten minutes There was life (and recycling ) before 1989
1989 as a trigger point for environmental awareness
European and UK strategies & initiatives
Targets, techniques and technologies
Education and communication
OK, so none of it is new really
The Eighties
Pioneering community sector on kerbside recycling
Local voluntary groups and environmental activists
First Recycling Officers
Launch of Waste Watch and LARAC
Stuff like this was big news…
1989 and the Green voteEuro-elections 1989 Green Party receives 2.3m votes (15%) but no seats
Politicians vied for ‘greenness’
Environment White Paper
1990 Environmental Protection Act
25% recycling target
The early Nineties Recycling targets were ‘aspirational’
Leadership from a small number of local authorities
Recycling Officers a growing breed
Some investments in reprocessing capacity e.g. Aylesford
Community sector growing nationwide and a leader in recycling service in SW
Encouraging words from Government, but little in terms of real policy drivers
The mid Nineties – Europe and new LabourEndless policy documents and initiatives from DoE – Making Waste Work, Producer Responsibility for packaging, Watch Your Waste Week, Recycling City etc etc
Landfill Tax introduced 1996 by Tories, practically implemented by Labour
Landfill Tax Credits Scheme (LTCS) – a fountain of ideas and initiatives
To the Millennium
Many good LTCS projects – research, education, policy, community projects
Some duplication and lack of co-ordination and strategy
Local authorities had patchy benefits from LTCS
Steady increases in Landfill Tax, but not enough
2000 and beyondEU Landfill Directive first and foremost
The rise of Market Development
Waste Strategy 2000 – the first statutory targets for local authorities
Creation of WRAP in 2001
2000/01 we were still at 11.2% recycling rate
The NoughtiesFiscal instruments – LATS, increased Landfill Tax, PFI
Producer responsibility – WEEE, ELV, batteries, tyres
Early review of WS2000 – the Cabinet Office report
Reform of LTCS and investment through WRAP and others in local authority support, communications, retail and packaging innovation, waste minimisation and home composting
Councils competing for Defra and WRAP funds for projects
More initiatives
Increased pace of activity – new recycling schemes, plant and reprocessing
The growth of organics – collection and treatment – chasing the targets
The use of social marketing and more investment in communications
A growing and diversifying sector
Beyond the traditional waste management role
Increased challenge of diverting waste to many other uses is growing a bigger sector with expertise in logistics, social marketing, finance, research and evaluation, engineering and many other skills
Development of more training and higher education, growth of professional bodies, trade media, industry awards schemes, research and consulting firms, ‘new’ sectors such as organics – all have transformed the recycling sector in 20 years
Different ideas of progress..Pace has been hectic, progress on recycling has improved in recent years, so much has been achieved
Lots of issues – haphazard implementation of producer responsibility, waste/non-waste, collection and processing systems for recyclables, the challenge of getting beyond 35% to 50% and more, the affordability of PFI, the growth of energy from waste – choose some more!
The joy of developing strategy..
Farming looks easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from a cornfield.
Dwight D Eisenhower
Where are we going to?Is it getting harder to achieve higher levels of recycling? What more can be done to engage the public?
How will we engage properly with the climate change agenda and the role of carbon in resources management?
What more can Government do?
Are technologies such as energy from waste options crowding out new recycling initiatives?
Thank you
Ray Georgeson Resources Ltd2 Garnett Villas, North Avenue, OTLEY, West Yorkshire,LS21 1AJ
Telephone: +44 (0) 1943 463680Mobile: +44 (0) 7711 069433E-mail: [email protected]: www.raygeorgesonresources.co.uk