A think tank has urged ministers to make the “abstract” concept of a circular economy more relatable for people.
The Green Alliance, led by former countryside champion Shaun Spiers, said the government risked under-delivering on its sustainability pledges.
In its manifesto ahead of this year’s election, which saw it come to power for the first time in 14 years, Labour said it was “committed to reducing waste by moving to a circular economy”.
In a report published this month, the Green Alliance said the party was “elected on a hopeful message of change”.
But it added that Conservative attempts to reform waste management, through measures such as extended producer responsibility for packaging and a deposit return scheme, had stuttered.
“Without deeper understanding of why the previous government’s strategy failed, current ambitions could suffer the same fate and fail to meet expectations,” said the report.
The think tank said that better management of resources could also help ministers achieve growth and cleaner energy supplies as well as directly improving people’s lives.
But it added: “To realise all these benefits, it is vital to relate the somewhat abstract circular economy concept to people’s everyday concerns.”
The Green Alliance said ministers would have more impact by highlighting “how reusing items reduces living costs and how improving the quality of products ends frustration with ‘built-in obsolescence’ and shoddiness”.
A government spokesperson last week insisted the government was “committed to creating a clear roadmap to a circular economy”.
