CIWM Group Policy Statement 2018

As a fundamental part of our mission to influence, inform and inspire the sustainable management of resources and waste, we engage with and support the development of resource and waste management policy, champion professional standards and good practice, and keep our members informed and up to date on the key issues relevant to our sector.

In developing our 2018 plans in line with the new vision, mission statement and Strategy, we have developed the objectives below.

Key objectives

  • To further strengthen our role as an influential, authoritative and knowledgeable partner/stakeholder in the development and delivery of policy and legislation related to resource and waste management across the UK and Ireland by:
    • proactively contributing to the development of future policy and legislation on waste and resource management in the UK and Ireland, using the knowledge within our membership;
    • adding to the body of evidence needed to inform policy decision making
    • providing a forum for policy consultation and engagement for our members and other sector stakeholders; and
    • being recognised as a trusted facilitator for multi-stakeholder policy discussions
  • To further strengthen our profile as the foremost professional body and voice for individual resource and waste managers across the UK and Ireland by:
    • promoting professionalism and the value of CIWM membership across the sector;
    • proactively and positively shaping and contributing to debate about resource and waste management issues across the sector and in the media;
    • keeping our members up to date on the latest policy and technical developments across the sector through a range of communications channels and support Centres in their communications activities; and
    • providing effective mechanisms for engagement, communication and feedback from our members to strengthen the relevance and impact of our policy and communications work.

To achieve these objectives, the structure for deciding where we should focus our efforts needs to be collaborative and to reflect the priorities and expertise of our members, both at an occupational level and in in terms of developing policies and practices that allow the sector to deliver wider environmental, social, and economic benefits. These include contributing to health and wellbeing, improving amenity, promoting resource efficiency and productivity, and helping to tackle climate change.

This collaborative process will include regular consultation with members and centres, as well as relevant CIWM committees and Special Interest Groups. It will be an iterative process and include feedback loops for the purposes of evaluating the effectiveness of our work and reprioritising activity where necessary.

Effective engagement with key external stakeholders will also be a priority and we will be looking to:

  • make more effective use of current partnerships with external stakeholders and organisations and identify potential new partnerships for research/evidence gathering and influencing; and
  • further strengthen our engagement with relevant government ministers, departments, senior policy officials and other relevant industry stakeholders across the UK and Ireland.

Priority Themes

For 2018, six priority themes have been consulted on and selected to focus our activities:

  • Health & Safety: Health & Safety is a priority issue for the resource and waste management sector and as the professional body for the sector and a stakeholder in the WISH, WISHNI and SWITCH fora, we will be prioritising behavioural change and good practice sharing in this area in 2018.
  • Waste crime: this continues to be a priority due to the continued increase in illegal activity and the financial, environmental and social cost to the sector, local and national government, and communities. It remains high on governments’ agendas, and we are already working with others across the sector to tackle criminal activity and persistent poor performance.
  • Future resource and waste policy: a critical area over the next 18 months as the UK government develops its thinking on environmental and industrial policy in the context of Brexit and significant country-specific policy developments are anticipated across the UK countries and Ireland. We are already active in this space (pre-election manifesto, Industrial Strategy consultation response, paper to the Natural Capital Committee) and will continue to seek to influence future policy.
  • Future of Producer Responsibility: the concept of extended producer responsibility is moving up the agenda and is relevant across CIWM’s membership base. It is also a key element of the EU Circular Economy package, which looks set to apply in the UK in at least the short term, and links to the wider debate about design for resource productivity and efficiency, remanufacturing, reuse etc.
  • Household collection and recycling: there are currently important developments and challenges in this area, including WRAP’s consistency project and Food Waste Recycling Action Plan, under both of which CIWM is either leading or participating in key work streams. Austerity continues to impact on services across the UK and this is an area where we can contribute, both through best practice sharing and by helping to shape a more informed debate.
  • Education and Skills: This is a core area for us as the sector’s professional body and will encompasses several strands of work including enhancing the membership offer and increasing membership, the new waste and recycling apprenticeships in England, and the wider ‘skills for a resource efficient economy’ agenda.

EU and international

Beyond the UK- and Ireland-focused policy themes detailed above, we will also be working on relevant EU and international policy issues as appropriate, including the progress of the EU Circular Economy Package and the future outlook for the export of recovered materials and waste-derived fuels in the context of Brexit and other global market developments. We will also be building on the 2017/18 Presidential Report ‘Making Waste Work: A Toolkit - Community Waste Management in Low- and Middle-Income Countries’ through its international networks in order to play its part in mobilising action to address the global waste crisis.

Measuring progress and impact

We will continue to engage with our members regularly to obtain feedback on how well our annual objectives have been met and to consult on future plans.

Members are welcome to feedback specific views and knowledge on any relevant policy areas to the CIWM Policy Team at policy@ciwm.co.uk.