In its manifesto, the Liberal Democrat Party has said it will bring forward a comprehensive waste strategy to build a thriving reuse and recycling industry.
This would culminate in it passing a Resource Efficiency and Zero Waste Act.
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Like the Green Party, the Liberal Democrats have set out detail in its manifesto on how it would develop a circular economy.
This would be done through the new Resource Efficiency and Zero Waste Act that would:
- Task the Natural Capital Committee with producing a ‘Stern report’ on resource use, identifying resources being used unsustainably and recommending legally binding targets for reducing their net consumption
- Use regulation both nationally and in the EU to promote sustainable design where reparability, reuse and recyclability are prioritised, and to reduce packaging waste
- Establish a coherent tax and regulatory framework for landfill, incineration and waste collection to drive continuous increases in reuse and recycling rates and ensure only non-recyclable waste is incinerated, including reinstating the Landfill Tax escalator and extending it to the lower rate and consulting on the introduction of an Incineration Tax.
- Commission the Natural Capital Committee to investigate the potential for other resource taxes, including deposit refund schemes.
- Establish a statutory waste recycling target of 70% in England
- Encourage the growth of anaerobic digestion to produce biogas for heat and transport, and sustainable fertiliser, working with local authorities to extend separate food waste collections to at least 90% of homes by 2020.
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The Resource Efficiency and Zero Waste Act would be one of five new green laws proposed by the Liberal Democrats. Other laws would look at nature, transport, zero-carbon and green buildings. Â
