New analysis by Green Alliance urges the Government to ban wood, textiles, electronics, food and plastics. It states that banning wood could create 3,200 jobs; banning textiles could create 6,600 jobs, banning electronics 9,500 jobs, food 12,100 jobs and plastics 16,100 jobs.

According to the report, reuse, remanufacturing and recycling creates new and valuable products. Selling these generates profit which supports skilled jobs.

The analysis highlights examples of jobs that could be created. For example, a role could be created for a plant manager working at an anaerobic digestion plant or a driver working for a textile recycling company.

Green Alliance head of resource stewardship Dustin Benton said: “The UK is currently burying billions of pounds of value in landfill and losing out on thousands of skilled jobs. A change in policy would improve resource productivity and boost private sector jobs growth at a time when the economy really needs it.”

“Landfill is also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. If we diverted all biodegradable materials to recycling, it would save money and cut CO2 emissions equivalent to those from all the homes in Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds.”

The report also states that keeping materials out of landfill could save £3.8bn of valuable products could save £3.8bn of valuable products from being lost to the UK economy.

The analysis also urges the Government to implement better collection systems to help maintain the quality of materials and new infrastructure to allow reprocessing and remanufacturing at the right scale.

Liz Gyekye

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