Sam Reeve, CEO at Resource Futures, explains the importance of how the resource and wastes sector communicates its role in the net zero transition.
The resources and waste sector is facing a pivotal moment. Whilst decarbonisation is driving major changes within the sector, it is also driving other sectors to engage more with resources and waste as they seek to bridge the gap to net zero.
As solutions for energy, transport, and estates become widely adopted, the next phase of decarbonisation will focus attention on food and material resources.
Our sector’s expertise will be essential to delivering this transition, but only if we can communicate the value we can offer effectively.
What is the opportunity?
The net-zero landscape is undergoing rapid evolution. Game-changing progress is being made in key areas, such as energy and transport, but these still leave a considerable gap to reach net zero – particularly for Scope 3 emissions.
Organisations recognise this and are introducing increasingly stringent procurement requirements. For example, large UK Government contracts require suppliers to report progress and environmental management methods against mandatory net zero commitments, and some areas of the NHS have been pushing these further still.
With carbon reduction targets for 2030 on the horizon, supply chains are looking for the next opportunities for innovation, investment and green growth.
Right now, the net zero sector is growing three times faster than the UK economy. Our industry can harness this growth and support transformations on a comparable scale to those seen in the energy and transport sectors.
There’s a broader opportunity to provide new circular economy solutions, and the immediate need to support decarbonisation sectors to better manage their waste and resources, starting with wind turbines, solar panels, electric vehicles, and batteries.
With increasing pressure to reduce waste exports, the UK industry is in a prime position to lead this change.
This opportunity is not a given, however. Our sector risks being sidelined from these emerging solutions if we fail to articulate our role in a way that resonates across sectors.
The challenge is significant: waste is often overlooked as a key contributor to emissions, yet ‘purchased goods and services’ – a major carbon footprint hotspot and notoriously difficult to decarbonise – require circular economy solutions to achieve net zero.
This reflects a long-standing issue: waste is too often treated as an afterthought, with solutions implemented at the end-of-pipe rather than higher up the waste hierarchy, and a real lack of supply chain coordination to adopt wider reaching solutions.
This is frustrating, as the resources and waste sector really should be at the forefront of future developments.
We bring incredible experience on how to deliver regenerative action through recirculating material through the economy to retain value in resources.
For example, the Community RePaint take-back scheme, operating for over 30 years, and the Recofloor scheme for vinyl flooring demonstrate how this sector can work with manufacturers to capture and reuse valuable resources, reducing waste and emissions.
We already know the barriers to remove, the policies and the financial measures needed to deliver circularity and net zero.
With the UK Government setting its sights on extended producer responsibility (EPR) for new material streams, our industry should be leading the response with a raft of timely, highly applicable circular solutions.
Reframing the narrative by speaking a common language
While net zero has widespread understanding and support across sectors, the term ‘circular economy’ often lacks recognition and understanding outside of certain ‘circles’ (pun intended).
We need to communicate effectively with our partners, framing our work through their perspectives.
Tools such as Life Cycle Assessments and carbon modelling span both worlds and can be used to identify the best solutions and support a compelling business case for taking circular action.
Presenting hard numbers resonates with key decision-makers – investors, C-suite executives, Boards, and Financial Directors – for whom net zero is a core Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criterion.
We should also support widespread training on how circularity achieves these results. Together, the Carbon Literacy Project and circular economy training in chemical engineering and other sectors are helping establish a common language.
The French Government provides an ambitious benchmark, aiming to roll out training on ecological transition for a sustainable economy to 5.6 million public officials by 2027.
Our solutions can reach further still. Supporting a just transition is not only essential to our global supply chains but also a priority for how packaging EPR and other policies are implemented across the UK.
Creating quality jobs, supporting local economic development, ensuring material and supply chain security, and improving air and water quality are fundamental priorities for businesses, governments and local communities.
Circularity can deliver on all these fronts and support agendas on green growth, nature and biodiversity. Let’s flip the script and lead with these topics to bring circular solutions to a wider audience and ensure joined-up strategic decisions are being taken.
Conclusion: Leading the way to a circular future
The resources and waste sector is entering a new era. To harness the next wave of net zero we must connect with a much wider audience and demonstrate how connected solutions deliver against multiple agendas.
By doing so, we can bring circularity to the masses deliver regenerative change and secure a world fit for future generations.
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