UK Government announces new waste strategy for a circular economy

The UK Government has announced a new strategy to combat the UK’s growing waste problem.

The UK Government has announced a new strategy
 to combat the UK’s growing waste problem

The new strategy will result in businesses and manufacturers having to pay the full cost of recycling or disposing of their packaging waste. This will transform the waste system by putting more ownership on the companies that produce the damaging waste.

The importance of reducing food waste is also highlighted in the new strategy. In the UK alone, an estimated 10 million tonnes of food and drink is wasted, this results in both costs to the economy and the environment. A fifth of UK greenhouse gas emissions are associated with food and drink.

To combat this, the Government will set up a pilot scheme to reduce food waste, supported by a £15 million fund. This will involve redistributing food to people in need, including homeless shelters and food banks.

Read the ClimateAction story by Rachel Cooper - “UK Government announces new waste strategy for a circular economy.”