Today’s Environment Bill is welcome first step but could be improved, says CIWM

CIWM has welcomed the introduction today to Parliament of the Environment Bill as a welcome first step in setting out a strategic long-term legal framework for environmental protection and improvement.

“The Bill is an important milestone,” said CIWM’s Head of Policy, Knowledge & External Affairs. “At an overarching level, it enshrines key environmental principles in law, creates a framework for setting legally binding targets, and puts the Defra 25-year Environment Plan and subsequent Environment Improvement Plans on a statutory footing. Critically, given the UK’s imminent exit from the EU, it also establishes the new environmental watchdog body – the Office for Environmental Protection – to take over the governance and enforcement roles of the European Commission and Court of Justice post-Brexit. However, there are areas where the Bill could and should be strengthened and improved to ensure that we have a robust, inclusive and genuinely transformative framework for environmental protection.”

The Bill sets out specific measures across four priority areas - air quality, nature, resources and waste, and water – and makes provisions for setting out targets in these areas, although these will not be in place until October 2022. For waste, new enabling powers are included across a range of areas including:

• setting resource-efficiency standards for products;
• reform of existing producer responsibility frameworks (packaging, batteries, etc) and introduction of new schemes in the future;
• application of charges to single-use plastic items, similar to the carrier bag charge, to incentivise a shift towards more reusable items;
• establishment of deposit return schemes and a requirement for a consistent set of materials to be collected from all households and businesses;
• clearer product labelling, allowing consumers to identify products that are more durable, repairable and recyclable and understand how to dispose of used products; and
• further measures on waste crime, including powers to introduce mandatory electronic tracking of waste.
• proportionate and effective enforcement against littering.

Two new additions to the Bill since it was introduced originally in October last year include powers to stop the exports of plastic waste to non-OECD countries and a commitment to a two-yearly review of developments in international environment legislation to ensure the government meets its stated aim to champion “the most effective policies and legislation for our environmental ambition.”

Commenting on the new commitments, Pat Jennings added:
“It is important to understand these in a wider context. The ban on plastic waste being sent to developing countries is part of a much bigger push at a European level and through the Basel Convention, to which the UK is and will remain a party. As well as discharging our international obligations, the UK government and the devolved governments have more work to do to support the development of domestic infrastructure to ensure that the UK can deal with, and derive value from, more of its waste plastic in the future.

“In addition, a biennial review of significant developments in environmental legislation is not the same as a legally binding commitment to maintain and build on current high environmental standards. Moves to dilute the UK’s commitment to ‘non-regression’ after Brexit have been the subject of concern across the environment sector and CIWM will be working with other organisations and initiatives on this and other areas of concern over the coming months.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. CIWM: CIWM is the leading professional body for the resource and waste management sector representing around 5,700 individuals in the UK, Ireland and overseas. Established in 1898, CIWM is a non-profit making organisation, dedicated to the promotion of professional competence amongst waste managers. CIWM seeks to raise standards for those working in and with the sector by producing best practice guidance, developing educational and training initiatives, and providing information on key waste-related issues. More information can be found at www.ciwm.co.uk

Press contact:
Pat Jennings
Head of Policy, Knowledge & External Affairs
Tel: 01604 620426
Mob: 07912 228260
E-mail: pat.jennings@ciwm.co.uk