ESA welcomes Chief Scientific Adviser’s report “From Waste to Resource Productivity”

The Environmental Services Association (ESA), the voice for the UK’s resource and waste management industry, today welcomed publication of the report “From Waste to Resource Productivity”, written by the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Mark Walport and Professor Ian Boyd, Defra’s Chief Scientist.

While not itself a statement of government policy, the ESA welcomes this long-awaited report as an important ingredient in the formulation of Defra’s resources and waste strategy due out in 2018.

ESA’s Chairman Dr Stewart Davies said:

“This report is timely, following on from publication of the Government’s Industrial Strategy at the end of last month, and sends a consistent message about the need to improve UK resource productivity. It provides another important building block as we move towards development of Defra’s resources and waste strategy next year.”

“The Chief Scientific Advisers have rightly identified that leadership and direction from government is an essential ingredient in improving resource productivity at all levels – through a new strategy, better data, promoting innovation, and facilitating a more equitable distribution of responsibilities along supply chains. Equally, the report identifies important actions for businesses, including some key sectors, as well as for citizens, cities and local government.”

“As I have said previously, industry-government collaboration will be key in making progress on this agenda. We need now to convene business sectors across supply-chains, along with relevant government departments, in a resource productivity forum, to ensure the insights in this report are thoroughly discussed to inform the approach to the Government’s resources and waste strategy.”

The report can be downloaded from the .Gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/from-waste-to-resource-productivity