In today’s world, the urgency to combat climate change has never been more important. Every industry must play its part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and the recycling and waste management sectors have a crucial role to play.
UK Waste Industry
The UK waste industry is estimated to contribute around 5-6% of UK GHG emissions, having already reduced its emissions by around two thirds since 1990 through reduced use of landfill, increased recycling, decarbonising transport and lowering incineration emissions. However, the sector is in a unique position to further directly support the decarbonisation of the whole value chain through:
- Production of low carbon fuels for other sectors
- Production of high-quality replacement raw materials for manufacturing
- Production of energy and heat for homes and businesses
- Increasing options for reuse, repair, remanufacture & redistribution
- Collaborating on value chain prevention and reduction initiatives
- Development of Carbon Capture systems
UK Recycling and Waste Management Sector’s Ambitious Goals
The UK’s recycling and waste management sector employs more than 155,000 people and operates over 6,000 permitted facilities. The UK produced around 222 million tonnes of total waste in 2018, where “energy from waste” facilities generated 1.7 GWhth of heat in 2022 (the equivalent of switching 147,000 homes away from gas), and in 2021 UK facilities processing organic and residual waste generated 12,174 GWh of renewable electricity, accounting for approximately 4% of the UK’s total renewable electricity (Source ESA).
Recent findings from both the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the Environmental Services Association (ESA) underscore the immense potential of circular business models to significantly contribute to Europe’s climate change mitigation efforts.
- Linking Circular Economy with Climate Policy: The EEA highlights the need for European countries to better integrate circular economy actions into their climate policies. While strides have been made, there’s significant room for improvement in accounting for emissions savings from waste management and circular economy initiatives.
- Underrepresented Circular Economy Actions: Circular economy actions, despite their potential, are often underrepresented in national climate policies. This is partly due to their cross-sectoral nature and lack of specific guidelines for inclusion in climate reporting.
- ESA’s Annual Report: The ESA’s annual report emphasises the importance of government support in achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the recycling and waste management sector in the UK. Key strategies include delivering a zero-emissions grid, introducing regulatory and policy drivers for carbon capture technology, and unlocking the potential for negative emissions.
The journey towards reducing industrial carbon emissions requires concerted efforts from all stakeholders. With innovative technologies, government support, and collaborative strategies, industries can pave the way for a greener, more sustainable future while meeting climate targets and ensuring economic prosperity.