Programme

8.45 – 9.15 - Registration

Refreshments and Networking Opportunity

9.15 – 10.00 - Keynote Address

The Baroness Parminter, Liberal Democrat Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson, House of Lords

10.00 – 11.20 - UK Recycling: 50% and Beyond...or Bust?

Chair: Julie Hill MBE, Chair of WRAP and associate of the Green Alliance
With increasing pressure on the UK household recycling rate, and greater ambition emerging from the European Commission, this session explores the potentially ‘game changing’ moves that will be needed to move to 50% recycling and beyond. Food and plastic waste streams and collection harmonisation will be under the spotlight, along with behaviour change and communications, and the supporting role that the retail sector can play.

Speakers include:

• Linda Crichton, Head of Resource Management, WRAP
  Exploring the opportunities offered by more harmonised collection systems, increased supply of quality recyclables and more UK-based reprocessing 
• Tracy Carter, Service Director - Waste Management, Wiltshire Council & Chair of the ADEPT Waste Panel
  Can local authorities deliver higher recycling rates in the current policy and economic climate?
• Paul Ringham, Commercial Director, Viridor
  Addressing the potential impact of materials markets on future recycling performance
• Iain Ferguson, Environment Manager, The Co-operative Group
  What role can retailers play in supporting the UK’s recycling performance
• Jayne Cox, Director, Brook Lyndhurst
  Incentivising householders – carrots, sticks and other nudges

11.20 – 11.40 - Refreshments & Networking

11.40 – 13.00 - In the Hot Seat: Who’s Responsible for Recycling and Reduction?

Chair: Chris Grove, Senior Advisor, Environment & Business, Environment Agency
Challenging market conditions, public sector spending constraints, and wider circular economy thinking have stimulated a growing debate about how cost and responsibility for recycling and resource stewardship are shared across the supply chain.  This session explores different perspectives on extended producer responsibility, consumer and business engagement, and the influencing role of high street brands that are increasingly under the spotlight.

Speakers include:

• Andrew Lappage, Head of Operations, North London Waste Authority
  What new EPR schemes could have the most beneficial impact for local authorities?
• Nick Brown, Head of Sustainability, Coca-Cola European Partners
  Exploring the opportunities offered by Producer Responsibility & Stewardship Models
• Professor Nick Pidgeon, Professor of Environmental Psychology, Cardiff University
  Key trends and insights into engaging with and changing consumer behaviour
• James Skidmore, Environmental Resource Manager, Sainsbury's
  Insight into Sainsbury’s Waste Less, Save More campaign
• Libby Peake, Senior Policy Advisor, Green Alliance
  Lessons from abroad: How other countries incentivise responsible producers
• Steve Gough, Chief Executive, Valpak
  The latest research into different producer responsibility frameworks and the future of packaging

13.00 – 14.00 - Lunch & Networking

14.00 – 15:00 - Breakout Sessions

Expert Breakout Session 1: The Contract Conundrum: New Contract Options and Models, and Their Implications
This session will explore some of the new contractual relationships that are emerging, with a particular focus on materials price risk and revenue sharing mechanisms

Chair: Trevor Nicoll, Head of Recycling, Waste and Fleet Services - Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council

Speakers include:

• Joe Papineschi, Director - Eunomia Research & Consulting
• Graham Mayes, Chief Operating Officer - Business Development, SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK
• Roger Harborough, Director of Public Services, Uttlesford District Council
  

Expert Breakout Session 2: Smarter Solutions for Business Waste: Re-thinking Service Models
This session will explore new ways of delivering business waste services, how to improve the service offering and add value for commercial customers, and what disruptive models might be on the horizon

Chair: Dr Geoff Sampson, Director, Circulogic

Speakers include:

• Ben Harding, ‎Corporate Business Development Director, SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK
• James Fulford, Chief Executive, London Business Waste and Recycling
• Nathan Gray, Head of Sustainability, Helistrat
  

Expert Breakout Session 3: Keeping Waste Crime at Bay: Tackling Illegal Waste Behaviour and Activities Collaboratively
This session will explore some of the key trends in waste crime, what opportunities there are to improve the current enforcement landscape, and how the sector can work more collaboratively to tackle the problem

Chair: Samantha Riggs, 25 Bedford Row, London

Speakers include:

• Mike Brown, Managing Director, Eunomia Research & Consulting Ltd
• Nicky Cunningham, Deputy Director - Site-Based Regulation, Environment Agency
• Roy Harris, Environmental Protection Team Manager, Newcastle upon Tyne City Council

15.00 – 15.30 - Refreshments & Networking

15.30 – 16:30 - Breakout Sessions

Expert Breakout Session 4: Burn, Bury or Export: Modelling Future Residual Waste Disposal Options
This session will explore the changing landscape for residual waste, including future landfill and EfW capacity and the outlook for European RDF markets

Chair: Peter Sharpe, Managing Director of LondonWaste Ltd

Speakers include:

• Adrian Judge, Director, Tolvik Consulting
• Jeff Rhodes, Head of Environment & External Affairs, Biffa
• Barry Brockbank, Assistant Director – Operations Division, Place, Growth & Prosperity, Stoke-on-Trent City Council

Expert Breakout Session 5: The Urban Recycling Challenge: The Latest Tools and Service Innovations
This session will consider a range of approaches to improving recycling rates in urban areas, including the latest initiatives in London and learning from farther afield

Chair: Cllr Clyde Loakes, Deputy Leader, London Borough of Waltham Forest Council

Speakers include:

• Anthony Buchan, Head of Programme - Local Authority Support, Resource London
• Dr. Tim Walker, Head of Waste Management, Belfast City Council
• Mark Saunders, UK Project Director, Centre of Excellence for Cities, Ferrovial Services
  

Expert Breakout Session 6: Higher up the Hierarchy: Business Cases for Re-use
This session will examine smart approaches to reuse and how to realise the maximum benefit across a range of local authority service areas

Chair: Dr. Jane Beasley, Beasley Associates

Speakers include:

• Alex Green, Managing Director, Social Purpose Group
• Steve Longdon, Regional Director, FCC Environment
• Sam Reeve, Chief Executive, Resource Futures

16.30 – 17:00 - Closing Plenary

8.45 – 9.15 - Registration

9.15 – 10.00 - Keynote Address

Dr Janez Potočnik, Co-Chair of the UNEP International Resource Panel

10.00 – 11.20 - Resource Efficiency and Productivity: A New UK Vision

Chair: Ray Georgeson, Chief Executive, Resource Association
With significant areas of future UK policy currently under development through Defra’s 25-year Environment Plan, BEIS’ Industrial Strategy, the National Infrastructure Assessment, and the Clean Growth Plan, this session will explore what a new UK vision for resources could look like.

Speakers include:

• Dr Marcus Gover, Chief Executive, WRAP
  A vision for how using resources more sustainably can generate growth for the UK in the face of substantial economic and environmental challenges
• Helga Vanthournout, Senior Expert, Center for Business and the Environment, McKinsey & Co.
  Facilitating the transition from Circular Economy theory to practice and supporting companies to capture more value from resources
• Dr Stewart Davies, Chief Executive, Augean plc and Chairman, ESA
  An industry perspective on the need to facilitate investment, as well as innovation in new technologies, in order to maximise the waste and recycling industry’s contribution to a resource efficient future
• Professor Paul Ekins, Professor of Resources and Environment Policy at UCL,  Director of the Institute for Sustainable Resources and a member of the UNEP International Resource Panel
  The policies that the UK will need to adopt if the potential for resource productivity to be a major driver of new industrial competitive advantage for the UK is to be realised
• Bernice Lee OBE, Executive Director, Hoffmann Centre for Sustainable Resource Economy, Chatham House
  The global perspective for resources and the Hoffmann Centre’s mission to accelerate the uptake of smart policies, technologies and business models that will reshape the world’s demand for resources
  

11.20 – 11.40 - Refreshments & Networking

11.40 – 13.00 - Risks, Opportunities and the ‘Brexit’ Factor

This session will build on the previous one, exploring different factors that will influence and impact on the waste and resources agenda, from the potential impact of Brexit on legislation and markets to new supply chain relationships, and from the latest consumer behaviour trends to stronger corporate CSR drivers around sustainability and climate change.

Chair: Dr Colin Church, Chief Executive, CIWM

Speakers include:

• Robert Hunt, Chief Corporate Officer, Veolia UK
  What role does innovation play in the waste and resource sector in uncertain political times?

• Mike Barry, Director of Sustainable Business, M&S
  Plan A 2025: collaborating with others to drive true change across consumer goods industries

• David Newman, President, World Biogas Association
  The critical contribution of food waste recovery to the UK’s recycling rate, GHG reduction, renewable energy and nutrient production, and returning organic carbon and nutrients back to the soil

• Matthew Prosser, Managing Director, UK DS Smith
  Exploring the importance of keeping a focus on material quality and resource value, regardless of the political landscape

• Laura Sandys, Chief Executive, Challenging Ideas
  Championing resource productivity: what is the scope and whose role is it?

13.00 – 14.00 - Lunch & Networking

14.00 – 16:00 - Fresh Perspectives on Delivering Resource Productivity

This session explores the different ‘lenses’ through which waste, resource productivity and circular economy strategies might be viewed, planned for and implemented in the future – including ‘smart’ cities, local/regional economic development, industrial feedstock opportunities, and new investment platforms.

Chair: Rupert Clubb, President, Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT)

Speakers include:

• Carl Beer, Chief Executive, Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority
• Wayne Hubbard, Chief Operating Officer, London Waste & Recycling Board
• Freek van Eijk, Managing Director, Acceleratio
• Andrew Collinge, Assistant Director , Greater London Authority (invited)
• Andrew Shannon, Partner, Circularity Capital
• Dr Jeremy Tomkinson, Chief Executive Officer, National Non-food Crops Centre

16.00 – 16:15 - Summing up and Close