As featured in CIWM Circular Online, head of policy Robbie Staniforth explores a shift in behaviour as producers take their obligations more seriously
The latest opinion article by Robbie explores how he has observed first-hand how seriously UK businesses have started to take their environmental obligations.
From the regularity of how often the packaging regulations are discussed at the top to the breadth of interest across the many areas of large businesses, the issue of waste is now touching ever more departments, from sustainability through to external affairs.
Before laws have even changed, the Resources and Waste Strategy is having an effect by changing the behaviour and actions of business, particularly those keen to track ahead of trends placing recyclability and meaningful labelling to the forefront.
Even ill-advised knee-jerk reactions to use unsuitable materials at least give us some hope that businesses are actually prepared to make changes now.
The recent Queen’s Speech has given the Government’s policies further credibility as it stated that they would “Transform the way we manage our waste - through powers to ensure that producers take responsibility for the waste they create, introducing a consistent approach to recycling, tackling waste crime, introducing bottle deposit return schemes and more effective litter enforcement. Powers to introduce new charges will minimise the use and impacts of single use plastics.”.
This gives yet another positive signal that the principles outlined in the 25-year Environment Plan will come to fruition.

Ben Luger
Marketing projects specialist
Ben joined the team at the beginning of 2015 and helps drive marketing communications and projects for Ecosurety, including project managing the launch of the Ecosurety Exploration Fund and website content development.
