The long-awaited waste prevention programme has been launched by Defra.
In the document, Defra sets out its limited ambitions to prevent waste through resource efficiency.
These include:
- A sustainable electrical action plan that will be developed by WRAP to design products for a longer life and further work on product design through investment of £5 million in the Technology Strategy Board’s collaborative research and development competitions
- A £900,000 programme again managed by WRAP to run trials on take back and leasing/hiring schemes
- £800,000 to support communities develop innovative waste prevention, reuse and repair actions in their local areas
- A web-based postcode locator will be developed by WRAP to find reuse and repair services
- WRAP will also develop standards for reuse
- Promotion of resource efficiency in schools
- It will seek to improve access to finance for businesses implementing resource efficient practice
- The Government will also introduce a 5p charge on single use carrier bags
- Seek to help the public sector, particularly the NHS reduce its waste
- Develop a suite of metrics by the end of 2014 to help monitor progress on waste prevention.
Resource Management Minister Dan Rogerson said: “Preventing waste from being produced in the first place is not only good for the environment, but for the economy and household budgets too.
“That’s why we are making it easier for people to find out where they can get things repaired or pass on things they no longer use.
“Everyone has a role to play in reducing waste and I want to see businesses helping consumers and the environment by designing products to last longer and using resources better.”
More information is at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-prevention-programme-for-england
