A report from the Environmental Services Association (ESA) has said that GDP could be boosted by £3 billion if a circular economy were to be created.
This would lead to investment of £10 billion, according to the study.
In his introduction to the report, ESA chairman and SITA UK chief executive David Palmer-Jones wrote: “A circular economy, where the UK increasingly re-uses and recycles the resources it already has, could help generate 50,000 new jobs with £10 billion investment, boosting GDP by £3 billion.
“The circular economy is the best long-run approach to return the UK to sustainable growth.
“The waste and resources industry can deliver this new economy. It is the means through which materials and energy can be returned into other productive parts of the economy. Its expertise can help redesign the UK’s supply chains to maximise material recovery and the economy’s resilience to the resource crunch of the future.
“This report explains the waste and resources industry’s role at the heart of the circular economy. It highlights some of the barriers preventing the take up of greater circularity and offers solutions along the supply chain.”
