Wasted opportunities: Smarter systems for resource recovery

16th July 2014

This is the second report of the Circular Economy Task Force, a business led group convened by Green Alliance. It is a forum for policy innovation which aims to disseminate information and recommendations on the best responses to sustainable resource security.

This report marks the end of year two for the Circular Economy Task Force. At the end of year one, we drew the roadmap for a circular economy in Resource resilient UK, giving a series of actions for businesses and the Government that would yield real progress. We also explained the risks of not acting.

We need a shake up. In this report, we have asked ‘What if?’ What if we see all waste as potential resource, no matter who generates it? What if we approach value capture as starting, not ending, with the reprocessors: the businesses that can return products and materials to productive use? What if we design collection and sorting according to their needs, not according to the outdated system that has grown out of a public duty to dispose of unwanted items, disregarding their value?

What if we set out to achieve a circular economy?