VIDEO: FCC Environment – “Circular economy will build huge value into waste”

The circular economy could inject new levels of sophistication into the waste industry according to leading contractor FCC Environment, in the latest of our Resource Revolution leader interview series.


Richard Belfield, group development director at FCC Environment, spoke at length about the “huge opportunities” smarter resource management offers waste management firms in moving away from traditional disposal models.

In terms of boosting the bottom line for businesses like FCC, Belfield said that the circular economy presented massive potential to re-engineer service provision and develop new ways of working with materials in order to generate added value for customers.

“Bag it, bin it, bury it – that approach is no longer valid,” Belfield maintained. “The value of waste is clear to see … our part to play in that is our ability to advise businesses, to work with them to give them the best value from that material.”

Belfield added that engaging in more strategic partnerships earlier in the waste management chain, either with customers or other waste service providers, was becoming increasingly necessary.

However he also pointed to the need for a more stable marketplace regarding material specifications, to help boost investor confidence and enable the waste sector to place itself firmly in the circular economy.

“We’d like to see clear legislation around how you categorise certain materials such that we understand as a sector how they transition from being a waste to becoming a raw material in their own right, or a commodity which can be sold,” he added.

Sponsored by FCC Environment, the interview series comprises eight video interviews with stakeholders from all points in the circular economy. The seventh leader interview will follow next week, featuring the manufacturer perspective with Unilever.

View previous interviews:

The SME Leader perspective – Commercial Group

The Manufacturer perspective – Unilever

The Designer perspective – RSA The Great Recovery Project

The Local Authority perspective – Somerset Waste Partnership

The Brand Leader perspective – Coca Cola Enterprises

The Retail perspective – John Lewis Partnership

The Thought Leader perspective – Peter Jones

The interviews incorporate learning from our recently-published White Paper ‘Closing the loop: risk or reward’. You can download your copy here.

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