WRAP chief executive Liz Goodwin has said that there needs to be more focus on the top end of the waste hierarchy.
In a blog on the WRAP website, she also called for different business models and a new approach to consumption.
She wrote: “Firstly, I have been saying for some time, for example at the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs select committee into waste management, that to achieve a circular economy there needs to be more emphasis on the top end of the waste hierarchy: preventing waste, and encouraging more reuse and the extension of product life. It is not enough to focus on the lower end and recycling targets.
“Secondly, we need to think more broadly about how we use stuff – so the role of radically different business models, and a new approach to consumption. That kind of change, supporting less resource-hungry consumption brings clear medium-term benefits but often means short-term disruption – and that requires courage from our business leaders.
“The prize however is great, and we often hear policy makers and business leaders talking about it. We are now at a crossroads where we need to say enough of the talking and get on with the action. Action will be built on evidence.”
She added that supporting that kind of change will be a clear focus for WRAP over the coming months. This includes the new electricals sustainable action plan (eSAP) that will seek to optimise the length of life of a product, make it easier to repair and reuse, and easier to reclaim waste materials.
To see the full blog visit http://www.wrap.org.uk/blog/2014/07/actions-speak-louder-words
