SUEZ responds to government’s 25-year plan for the environment

David Palmer-Jones, CEO of SUEZ recycling and recovery UK stated:

“We welcome the publication of the government’s 25-year Environment Plan, which provides a long-awaited direction of travel for our industry after a difficult period of effective policy limbo combined with market volatility.

“It rightly places our environment at the heart of government strategy and following in the wake of the Industrial Strategy, recognises the importance of sustainable growth to the UK economy post-Brexit.

"The ambition to extend producer responsibility should look beyond plastics to develop a whole life-cycle approach, across a range of materials with good properties for reuse and recycling.

“We have long advocated the importance of data in transitioning to a more circular economy and support the government’s call for more available data to support industrial symbiosis and more circular approaches. Data will allow us to track material flows which have real value and the flow of resources into and out of the UK.

“Having invested heavily in new facilities to support the move away from landfill over the last decade, we are pleased that this plan recognises the important role energy recovery facilities have played in this transition and the ambition to make these facilities more efficient by identifying ways to increase the use of the heat they produce.

“Overall, the plan represents an important first step towards policies that will support the growth of our industry and enable it to play a pivotal role in the development of a more resource efficient, sustainable economy. Systemic change is needed to tackle the complex issues facing us and ensure co-ordination with national infrastructure plans and the Industrial Strategy. We urge government to work with our industry on the detail of its new Resources and Waste Strategy to develop a world leading approach for the UK.”