Neil Grundon, Chairman of Grundon, says better use of technology and having ‘feet on the ground’ is the best way to beat fly-tipping.

When the Environment Agency (EA) recently published its list of over 100 ‘high risk’ waste sites, my first thought was ‘is that all?’

My second was ‘how much is that costing’ – and I don’t just mean in terms of the clean-up operations, I mean in lost government revenue.

By my calculations, the almost 1.9 million tonnes of dumped rubbish alluded to by the EA at these sites alone would, at the current standard landfill tax rate of £130.75 per tonne, equate to nearly £247,000,000 – or put more simply, a quarter of a billion pounds – missing from the tax kitty.

Of course, I’m not naive enough to think that the people dumping this waste are going to drive a few extra miles to their nearest recycling centre and pay their taxes. As we know, waste criminals (whether that be organised crime syndicates or chancers conning folk by offering to get rid of their waste on the cheap) don’t care about anything other than making the highest price in the quickest possible time. 

As the EA itself admits, more widely, there are currently around 700 known illegal waste sites across England, and it has already set out plans to tackle the issue, citing a strategy that (amongst others) includes faster intelligent handling and a more consistent response; the creation of a new Operational Waste Intelligence and Analysis Unit; and naming operators involved in illegal activity.

That’s all very well, but I believe the EA could take a much more proactive approach by swapping report writing with better use of technology and sending its permitting and enforcement teams out in the field more often.

I believe it is only when people see these waste abominations for themselves that they realise the true scale and level of the large-scale criminality being perpetuated.

Instead, what we are seeing is reputable, established companies like ourselves facing an ongoing struggle of more and more regulations and hoops to jump through – enforcing things that don’t need to be enforced while not taking action on the things that do.

I also think that the general public and businesses need to take a long, hard look at what they do with their waste. 

It’s created in someone’s home, someone’s business premises, someone’s building site, and the responsibility lies partly at their front door too – to coin a phrase, ‘just say no’ to unscrupulous waste collectors. It takes just a minute or two to check an operator’s licence – isn’t that worth it if it helps keep the countryside clean?

Thankfully, there are plenty of people and organisations (ourselves included) who do care about the environment and desperately want to help rid our countryside of the scourge of fly-tippers. 

Unfortunately, it’s often an uncoordinated, isolated and under-supported effort, which is why I think we need a collective approach to tackle waste crime and bring back some good ‘old-fashioned’ civic pride.

Look at what proactive campaigning has done to help hold the water industry to account over sewage being dumped in our rivers, lakes and seas – this is the power of the people, the citizen scientists who know they can make a difference.

I’ve been following the work of the campaigning group Clean Up Britain, which is doing a great job of attracting both widespread attention in the corridors of power and in the media around the issue of fly-tipping. 

The group says its mission is: ‘To end the cycle of environmental neglect by challenging inaction, demanding accountability, and inspiring a culture of personal and collective responsibility.’ And that sums it up perfectly. 

Earlier this year, it launched a campaign to raise £100,000 to install 200 hidden enforcement cameras and warning signage in fly-tipping hotspots, and I think that’s a brilliant idea. 

Perhaps we should look at recruiting a ‘citizen army’ to keep track of such activities. Local communities will usually be the first to know when waste is illegally dumped; sometimes, they may even see it happening. 

Utilising technologies like hidden trail cameras that identify car number plates and faces of the perpetrators takes away fears of confrontation and provides actual evidence for the enforcement agencies. Even better if those videos can be posted on social media so those individuals know they are being watched and reported.

Sadly, though, even when fly tippers are caught, they seem to get away with not much more than a slap on the wrist. I read recently about one case where two men had dumped fly-tipped waste in a remote rural lane – one had visited the site some 50 times in less than 10 weeks, and the other had advertised on Facebook as a waste collector, despite not holding a valid waste carrier’s licence – yet they were each issued with community protection warnings and fined £400.

I try not to despair when I see things like that, but stronger deterrents must surely be the way forward too. 

As the EA says (and for once I agree), it cannot address waste crime alone. 

We do need a much more joined-up approach, we need those citizen armies and those campaigning groups, we need investment in technology, we need politicians to listen.

Like many of our peers, we already provide bins, bags and volunteers to help clean up our countryside. As an industry, we are playing our part – let’s all put feet on the ground (yes, I mean the EA too) and get this job done. 

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Jessica Bradley explores how the resources and waste sector is cutting carbon in real time and becoming a climate leader as an industry.

While reducing and avoiding waste is an integral part of the circular economy, some waste will always be inevitable. At the crux of this challenge is preserving the embodied energy of products and materials, and sequestering harmful gases caused as a byproduct of these materials.

The waste sector has a hugely important role to play in the circular economy, sitting in a complex web alongside consumers, producers and businesses, where responsibilities and climate change mitigation reporting are entangled.

So how can the waste sector continue to cut its carbon emissions, and what stands in its way?

The current picture

By all accounts, the UK waste sector has a good track record of reducing emissions. By 2010, the sector’s emissions had dropped by 55% from the 1990 baseline date used for carbon accounting.

Its contribution to the total UK emissions also declined from 10% to 6%. This fall is mostly due to reductions in methane emissions from landfill, which have decreased by 45% over the last four decades.

The sector was responsible for around 6% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2024, according to government statistics. This was a 4% decrease from the previous year, largely thanks to a reduction in landfill emissions.

These achievements have been made possible by the many improvements across the sector to data and reporting, infrastructure, energy efficiency and operational changes, as well as treatment innovation, and circular approaches, such as fleet transition, and improved material recovery.

In 2021, the sector committed to reach net zero by 2040 – with £10bn invested in recycling infrastructure – and to decarbonise non-recyclable waste treatment by diverting organic waste from landfill to recycling and energy production by 2030. It also committed to removing plastics from energy recovery facilities.

The waste sector has seen a lot of policy changes recently, and there are more to come, says Steve Vaughan-Jones, technical director at consulting firm WSP.

This includes the UK emissions trading scheme, which waste facilities will be enrolled in from 2028. Any waste going to a waste facility will be subject to this scheme, to which there is carbon pricing attached that’s linked to fossil content within residual waste.

This presents an opportunity to apply technologies to mitigate such costs, including carbon capture technologies, Vaughan-Jones says, and taking fossil fuel content from residual waste.

There are parallel policy measures, he says, including the government’s Simpler Recycling scheme, which aims to boost recycling rates and reduce waste sent to landfill or incineration by standardising waste collection and introducing separate streams for recyclable materials. It will mandate all local authorities to extract more difficult-to-recycle plastics by 2027. 

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging is also predicted to have huge implications for the sector, and will support the segregation of fossil contents. 

“This is an opportunity to find something more pragmatic and sustainable to manage those difficult-to-recycle plastics,” says Vaughan-Jones. “There is some technology emerging, but it’s not yet at a commercial scale in the UK.” 

The EPR scheme will also incentivise the right design behaviours, so that packaging is designed in a way that allows it to be readily removed and recycled at the end of its life, he says. 

How the sector collectively solves the rising amount of difficult-to-recycle plastics it will be collecting from next year is going to be hugely significant, Vaughan-Jones adds.

“We’re seeing the emergence of chemical recycling facilities to address this, but it’s not yet proven at a commercial scale, so there’s still a long way to go,” Vaughan-Jones says.

The bigger picture 

The waste sector rarely controls the materials it handles, which sets it apart from other industries. It receives waste after many decisions that influence its carbon footprint have already been made and executed.

This includes its packaging design, how it’s been manufactured and transported, and how it’s been used and consumed. 

This position is the starting point for much debate around how much control it can wield over its own carbon footprint, as well as how much it can be accountable for in the first place.

The sector is intrinsically linked to a wider picture that includes waste prevention, as well as carbon capture technology.

Some experts, including Suez, argue that the sector’s progress here also depends partly on developments elsewhere, as carbon capture requires wider infrastructure, including transport networks and storage systems.

But the contribution of waste and resource management to the mitigation of climate heating is significant, says David Wilson, independent consultant and visiting professor in resource and waste management at Imperial College London.

Part of this picture is the issue that the sector has contributed to more carbon savings than it is given credit for, Wilson argues, due to the IPPC’s way of reporting climate change mitigation, which is set according to IPPC sectoral categories. 

“The way IPPC develops its data is fairly rigid; and rightly so, because it is paranoid double-counting,” says Wilson.

But this means that, if the waste industry recycles materials that go back into the economy, any carbon savings are not credited to the waste sector, he says. 

“The waste sector sits at the end, providing raw materials to other industries who benefit from that. If you look at it sector by sector, the waste industry doesn’t get credit for that in IPPC terms,” he says.

According to a 2024 European Environment Agency report, the potential emission reductions due to circular economy measures are underestimated partly because of this strict sectoral reporting structure. 

Experts call for a more coordinated system for reporting that reflects cross-sectoral circular economy activities, breaking down silos and increasing coordination between sectors to recognise that the circular economy and climate change are cross-sectoral.

More widely, CIWM and numerous other experts argue that the answer to the waste sector reaching net zero is collaboration across all sectors and supply chains to ensure that professionals can influence the choice of materials, improve end-of-life outcomes, and ultimately, drive materials up the waste hierarchy.

The last hurdle

“The waste sector has made tremendous progress towards decarbonisation over a long time,” says Sam Gillick-Daniels, lead analyst at WRAP, where he is in charge of producing a net-zero waste plan for the waste sector.

This is despite the challenges it’s been dealt that are outside of its control, including a combination of government policy, regulatory enforcement, and people and business behaviour. 

When you look at the challenges and what’s outside the sector’s control, you’d expect these to come into play for the last third of the journey to net zero, he says. 

“If it was easy, it would have been done already. This was always going to be the hard part because the tricky bits are left to the end.”

But there are three main levers of change to reach net zero, says Gillick-Daniels. The first is capturing methane, which is eight times more potent as a climate gas than CO2. 

“It needs capturing as much as possible, and either burned to reduce its potency, or used as a fuel somewhere else,” he says. 

In England, landfills currently capture around 55% of gas, which needs to improve to around 85%, Gillick-Daniels says, but the economic case doesn’t currently facilitate a lot of action to get it up to this rate. 

It’s within the ability of landfill operators to stay on top of the degradation and faults of having a fully capped and covered site, but it involves a high cost, Gillick-Daniels says.

The government is incentivising this under the Renewables Obligation scheme, but no new landfills can receive this, and it only lasts for 20 years. The government is currently looking into a transitional agreement for when the fund drops off, Gillick-Daniels says, but there have been no details on this yet.

The second lever of change, says Gillick-Daniels, is capturing carbon emissions via thermal treatment. 

“Energy from waste (EfW) facilities present an opportunity for further decarbonisation in the sector,” he says. “Installing carbon capture technology at some facilities could reduce emissions further.”

The Climate Change Committee has called for all EfW plants to have carbon capture and storage by 2040. The sector is expected to save 10.3 million tonnes of direct emissions by 2035, and 8.3 million tonnes of indirect savings through better resource efficiency. But, experts point out, there is a shortfall of treatment capacity, with the sector having to reduce emissions while managing rising volumes of residual waste. 

The industry has been looking into this for a while, and there are two sites in contract negotiations with the government for financial support, but nothing is set in stone yet, Gillick-Daniels says.

WRAP is looking at an estimate of space viability of around two-thirds of current sites that might be able to have the technology, he says. This would involve passing gas that’s burning energy through a chemical process, with a high electricity cost on top of the infrastructure investment.

“But this is a very expensive technological transition, with estimates of around £12bn for those 40 sites to have capture technology,” he says.

Another barrier is the ability to transport the carbon to be stored.

“If a site isn’t close to a pipeline, non-pipeline transport costs are a significant barrier for all industry looking to implement carbon capture and storage,” says Gillick-Daniels.

The third lever is vehicle electrification, as the vast majority of waste vehicles are currently diesel. But there are many practical challenges to overcome with this transition, Gillick-Daniels says – mainly how vehicles will get around and back to the depot before needing to be charged. 

“Vehicles will need to be charged before they return – how can you charge a collection vehicle mid-round? It needs infrastructure, which isn’t in the control of the industry,” he says. 

There are huge potential costs associated with moving waste collection fleets to zero-emission vehicles, and the charging infrastructure and deployment of renewable and alternative fuels will need to play into this.

Despite this, the sector has committed to buying only zero emissions collection vehicles from 2030, phasing out petrol and diesel entirely by 2040, and moving all vehicle and all on-site fuel use to zero emissions sources by 2040.

The future of the waste sector’s net-zero efforts 

When it comes to reducing the remaining carbon footprint of the sector, there are various barriers, over which the sector has varying levels of control. Because of this, reaching net zero will remain a difficult concept for the waste sector, says Steve Vaughan-Jones.

“Funding is going to be key,” he says. “There needs to be opportunities to take mitigating actions, particularly on the public sector side; there needs to be support, funding and direction.”

Many experts argue that the sector wields considerable potential for mitigating climate change. And there are many technological advances and policy changes on the horizon that offer hope.

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Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service declared a major incident after 20 fire engines were deployed to a recycling centre fire in Widnes.

Firefighters were called to the incident at around 17:30 on Monday, 22 June and remained at the site overnight, tackling the blaze. All persons are accounted for, and no casualties have been reported.

It’s estimated that of the 550 tonnes of waste on the site, around 450 tonnes were involved in the fire, most of which is thought to be cardboard.

According to reports from Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service, the fire was spreading rapidly through the single-storey building, which is approximately 50m x 50m, and causing a heavy plume of smoke.

As of 20:55 on Monday, the Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service said firefighters were making ‘good progress’ in tackling the fire and preventing it from spreading to adjacent premises.

The major incident was stood down before midnight, and the number of crews on scene was reduced overnight as firefighters continued using water jets to cool burning debris.

At 4:00 am this morning (23 June), attendance was scaled back to three fire engines and three special appliances from Cheshire, as well as one special appliance from Greater Manchester.

However, Chesire Fire & Rescue Service said it’s likely that road closures around the immediate area will remain in place for ‘some time’.

Commenting on the incident, Superintendent Sam Billington said: “A large number of officers are in attendance at the scene to manage road closures and provide reassurance to the community.”

“While our colleagues from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service tackle the fire, we would urge residents in the nearby area to follow their advice and stay indoors with their windows and doors closed at this time.”

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A team from recycling not-for-profit, Every Can Counts, is taking part in Red Bull’s famous Soapbox Race this weekend.

The four-person crew have designed and built a recycling-themed soapbox to take on the course in front of thousands of spectators at London’s Alexandra Palace.

Inspired by a classic VW Beetle and incorporating recycled cans into the engine detail, Every Can Counts’ design will take on 59 other teams in the hope of setting the fastest time and impressing the judges, while also raising awareness of the importance of recycling. 

Canzee, Every Can Counts’ mascot made from 400 recycled drink cans, will make a special appearance as the driver of the soapbox. 

By participating, Every Can Counts says it wants to inspire the public to dispose of their drink cans correctly, with a team of ambassadors onsite to engage attendees and highlight the recyclability of cans and the value of aluminium as a material.

Commenting on the race, Chris Latham-Warde, programme manager for Every Can Counts, said: “This is our third time competing in the Red Bull Soapbox race and every year, the team get more and more excited.”

“Every can recycled could be back on sale as a brand new can in as little as 60 days – and this cycle can continue forever thanks to the infinite recyclability of aluminium. Therefore, every can really does count, including at events like the Soapbox race.”  

Every Can Counts is a unique partnership among drink can manufacturers, drink can fillers, and the wider recycling industry, with the goal of achieving a 100% recycling rate for drink cans.

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With the FIFA World Cup set to generate an estimated 156 tonnes of single-use plastic waste, 74% of people in the UK have said they want plastic-free packaging at events this summer.

The materials innovation company Xampla, which commissioned the research, says the FIFA World Cup will generate enough single-use plastic waste to stretch the length of more than 13,000 football pitches.

With the FIFA World Cup kicking off this month, new research, released as part of London Climate Action Week, has found that three-quarters of the public (74%) want major sporting events to only use plastic-free food packaging.

Xampla also highlighted that many single-use food containers that appear to be paper or card are lined with a thin layer of hidden plastic.

The survey found that half of the public (49%) said they did not realise that a lot of paper and cardboard takeaway food boxes are lined with plastic.  

79% said food packaging should clearly state whether it contains plastic, so they can make informed choices, while 80% believe all food packaging, such as those used in takeaways and supermarkets, should be plastic-free where possible.

Commenting on the research, Alexandra French, CEO of Xampla, said: “The public cares deeply about the environment and wants to play their part to address the global plastic pollution crisis.”

“With millions of people attending festivals and sporting events this summer, there is a real opportunity for food businesses, the events industry, and manufacturers to demonstrate that scalable, plastic-free alternatives already exist.”

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Nadine Leder explains how industry engagement and innovative training opportunities are helping students develop valuable employability skills and prepare for the job market.

As the resource and waste management sector continues to drive the transition towards a more circular economy, developing green skills and attracting future talent has never been more important.

The challenge is not only about recruitment. It is about ensuring the next generation of professionals understands the opportunities, innovation and impact that sit at the heart of the sector.

What is the solution?

Earlier this year, CIWM Cymru, Dauson Environmental Group, and Cardiff Business School came together to deliver a different kind of training session.

Delivered as part of Cardiff Business School’s BSc Business Management Lunch and Learn series, the event brought 25 undergraduate and postgraduate students together to explore circular economy business models in an informal, engaging and highly practical setting.

The series is an extracurricular offering designed to enhance employability skills by giving students access to industry perspectives and exposure to real-world challenges, with previous sessions covering topics such as leadership, work experience and presentation skills.

For the final session of the semester, CIWM Cymru delivered a certified training workshop, providing students with a valuable opportunity to engage directly with the sector.

Led by Brian Royson Mayne, the session explored the principles and practical application of circular business models. Drawing on extensive experience within the resource and waste management sector, Brian encouraged students to look beyond recycling and consider the broader system, business models and innovations required to deliver a truly circular economy.

Through real-world examples and discussion, students gained an insight into what circularity means in practice, the impact of technology, and the role that resources and waste professionals play in enabling the transition.

No ‘Lunch and Learn’ is complete without lunch. With support from Dauson Environmental Group and its Sustainability Manager, Ben Maizey, who also volunteers on the CIWM Cymru Regional Committee, refreshments were provided for the students, helping to create a relaxed and informal tone for the session. This atmosphere proved key to the session’s impact.

Beyond the workshop content, students welcomed the opportunity for genuine interaction with the practitioners. The setting encouraged open discussion about careers, skills and the realities of working within the resources and waste sector, creating space for more honest and practical exchanges than a traditional classroom format typically allows.

These conversations often prove just as important as the formal training itself. They help students understand the breadth of career opportunities available, while giving practitioners a chance to engage directly with future talent and share first-hand insights from the sector.

Taken together, sessions like this highlight the value of closer collaboration between education and industry in building the skills needed to deliver a more resource-efficient and circular economy.

As the demand for green skills continues to grow, partnerships between education and industry will play an increasingly important role in preparing the workforce of the future.

Initiatives like this demonstrate how small interventions can create meaningful connections, raise awareness of the sector, and inspire the next generation of professionals who will help deliver a more resource-efficient and circular economy.

Speaking about the event, Siddh Sharma, Final-Year BSc Business Management Student, Cardiff Business School, said: “The CIWM Lunch and Learn brilliantly highlighted that circularity is no longer just an environmental initiative, but a core commercial strategy.”

“Engaging directly with industry practitioners gave us a practical understanding of how to transition from linear risks to resilient, closed-loop systems. As a student preparing to enter the supply chain sector, learning from the experts driving this sustainable transformation at scale was invaluable.”

Ben Maizeycommented: “One of the biggest challenges facing our sector is attracting and developing the talent needed to deliver a circular economy. Sessions like this give students a chance to see the innovation, purpose and career opportunities that exist within the industry, while allowing us to learn from the fresh perspectives they bring.”

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Susan Randall, Sustainable Solutions Advisor at Rype Office, gives an insight into how CIWM has led the way in circular economy furniture across two office moves in seven years.

Over the last seven years, CIWM (Chartered Institution of Wastes Management) has quietly led the way in sustainable office fit-outs, particularly circular-economy furniture. This has reduced costs, environmental impact and waste.

2019 office move

For its 2019 office move, CIWM employed the principles of the waste hierarchy, reusing where possible and using remanufactured furniture and items manufactured from waste materials for the rest.

CIWM sought a professional, modern space that inspired people and reflected its ethos of resource efficiency, sustainability, and the circular economy.

Rype Office, an award-winning British sustainable office design and furniture remanufacturing company, was appointed to assist, and they immediately conducted a review of existing furniture.

The design for the new office was developed incorporating existing furniture where suitable, externally sourced and remanufactured items, and furniture made from recycled/sustainable materials by local companies. 

Externally sourced used furniture came from Amazon’s UK office, advertising and PR firm WPP, and Marks and Spencer’s head office. This was remanufactured by Rype back to new condition in a quality-controlled engineering process.

The boardroom table was made from recycled post-consumer waste yoghurt pots. Coffee tabletops were made from recycled kitchen cutting boards. Booth frames were manufactured by the Merthyr Tydfil Institute for the Blind (MTIB).

By choosing circular economy furniture, CIWM saved money and avoided 7,600 kg CO2e carbon emissions compared to all new, while avoiding 2.6 tonnes of office furniture going to waste. For the flooring, 78.7% of the carpet tiles in the office were reused or recycled.

Existing furniture that was not suited to the new office was donated to the Northampton School for Girls, Derby Sea Cadets, Disability Network, Madani School Federation, Deaf Blind Conference Organisation, NHS Leicester, and the British Heart Foundation.

In 2025, CIWM relocated within the same building, with Rype Office designing, constructing and furnishing the new space.  Because CIWM chose high-quality furniture in 2019, 100% of the furniture in the new office came from the old office.

More than 90% of the flooring was reused, which saved a lot of money and avoided 3,000 kg CO2e embodied carbon emissions. Furniture not used in the new office was remanufactured by Rype for further use.

2026 chair upgrade

In 2026, CIWM decided to upgrade their task chairs to Rype Zeros and make sure their existing task chairs were remanufactured again for another life, avoiding waste.

The Rype Zero leads the way in ergonomic, low-carbon and sustainable task chair design. Developed in collaboration with Brunel University, this chair provides extraordinary comfort and support without the environmental or financial costs associated with new chairs made from virgin resources. It is used by JLL’s Manchester office, Transport for Wales’ head office and the Howard de Walden Estate’s HQ.

The mechanism, base, arms and shell of the Rype Zero are from the award-winning Giroflex 64 chair. Rype remanufactures G64 parts in the UK using a quality-controlled engineering process to return them to as-new condition and add to them seat and back pads that have been redesigned for greater comfort and a modern aesthetic.

The G64 chairs, which Rype remanufactured into Zeros for CIWM, came from Nomad Foods UK Headquarters. CIWM’s replaced chairs have been remanufactured again and are now serving the offices of Heathrow and Greenwood Place. Choosing Rype Zeros avoided 1,630 kgCO2e of carbon emissions compared to buying chairs made from virgin resources. 

Commenting on the projects, Dr Greg Lavery, Rype Office CEO, said: “CIWM has embraced the circular economy and made substantial cost and environmental savings – all without compromising on aesthetics or ergonomics. They have a wonderful office that embodies their commitment to transitioning the world to a more circular approach.”

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The Flexible Plastic Fund (FPF) has launched its FlexCircular initiative, which aims to further accelerate the UK’s transition to a circular economy for flexible plastic packaging.

Building on the FPF FlexCollect project, which found that large-scale household collection of flexible plastic packaging is achievable, FPF FlexCircular aims to demonstrate how to move towards recycling and full-system circularity.

The initial project is undertaking research to determine the scale of investment required in the UK to recycle up to 400,000 tonnes of post-consumer flexible plastic packaging by 2030.

It will have a particular focus on achieving circularity for food-contact packaging – by recycling it back into food-contact packaging.

The project, which will report its findings towards the end of 2026, is a collaborative effort led by Ecosurety with input from DEFRA, PackUK, the Welsh Government, and Zero Waste Scotland, and a project team comprising Suez, CEFLEX, WRAP, and RECOUP.

Commenting on the project, Gareth Morton, Discovery Manager at Ecosurety and FPF lead, said: “FPF FlexCircular is about turning the proof of collections into a real, investable circular system.”

“By understanding what the UK needs in terms of investment, infrastructure and policy, we can maximise the opportunity to recycle flexible plastics at scale, creating benefits for industry, consumers, and the environment alike.”

The project has several key aims, including analysing how much recycled flexible plastic may be needed by industry from 2030 onwards, and whether supply will meet demand.

It will also evaluate what types of recycling facilities, such as mechanical, chemical, or future technologies, may be needed in the UK, and at what capacity, and what level of investment might be required to build this infrastructure.

Finally, the project will assess the costs and risks of continuing to use virgin plastics and what policies and incentives may help to align the value chain to support UK recycling infrastructure investment.

FPF Spokesperson, Richard Akkermans, said the FlexCircular project represents a ‘pivotal moment’ for flexible packaging in the UK.

“We’ve proven that collection at scale is possible – the next opportunity is to close the loop by investing in the recycling infrastructure to match,” Akkermans said.

“For the Flexible Plastic Fund, achieving circularity for food-contact flexible plastics isn’t just an ambition, it’s a necessity. This research aims to provide the roadmap that the value chain needs to invest in the UK with confidence and deliver positive environmental outcomes for the future.”

The FPF FlexCollect project was set up in May 2022 to understand the best way to collect and recycle flexible plastic packaging and to trial kerbside collections across nine different waste collection authorities over three years.

89% of households that took part in the pilot said they were ‘very satisfied’ with the kerbside collections trial. 

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Charlotte Davies, Senior Consultant – Resource Efficiency & Circularity at Beyondly, explains why future-proofing the circular economy doesn’t start with emerging technologies or system reform, but people.

When we talk about the future of the circular economy, conversations often focus on policy, infrastructure and investment. We discuss systems like Extended Producer Responsibility, deposit return schemes, digital product passports, and emerging recovery technologies.

I have no doubt these systems will play a vital role in shaping the future of our sector. But there is another challenge that receives far less attention: who will deliver this transition?

Like many people working in waste and resources, I did not grow up dreaming of a career in the sector. I wanted to work in an environmental role and make a positive impact, but being less proactive than most, I found my way into the sector through a friend’s recommendation.

In contrast, my brother actively searched for opportunities within the environmental sector, focusing on ‘energy’ and ‘renewables’ and now works in energy procurement.

I think our experiences reflect a far wider trend among many young professionals. People increasingly want careers in sustainability, where they can make a difference, but waste and resources are rarely the first sector that comes to mind, and as with me, people fall into it. 

That presents both a challenge and an opportunity.

Purpose and impact matter more than ever

The good news is that the waste and resources sector offers exactly what many young professionals are looking for: the chance to create meaningful impact.

Across all industries, early career professionals are increasingly motivated by purpose. Salary and progression remain important, but many people also want to know that their work contributes to solving real-world challenges.

Environmental issues and climate change are high on the agenda for younger generations entering the workforce. Few sectors offer such a direct connection between daily work and positive environmental outcomes.

From improving local resource efficiency and recycling processes to supporting circular business models and AI-driven recovery systems, the work has a tangible, visible impact.

Every tonne diverted from landfill, item reused, repair scheme introduced, and circular model implemented contributes to a more sustainable future. For a generation increasingly seeking purpose in their careers, that is a compelling proposition.

Another shift that cannot be ignored is the growing importance of organisational purpose. Increasingly, people want to work for organisations that stand for something beyond profit alone. A recent Deloitte study found that:

• 89% of Gen Z respondents said a sense of purpose is important to their job satisfaction and wellbeing.
• 47% of Gen Zs and 49% of millennials have left a job because it lacked purpose or didn’t align with their values

This is reflected in the growing interest in initiatives, such as B Corp certification, employee volunteering programmes, and community investment projects. Interestingly, many circular economy initiatives naturally align with these values. While reuse hubs, repair centres and social enterprises can create jobs, support local communities and reduce waste.

The circular economy is not just about managing materials differently. It is about creating value in ways that benefit people, communities and the environment. For younger professionals, that broader sense of purpose is often a significant attraction.

An industry that continues to evolve

There is also a perception challenge that the sector must overcome. For many people outside the industry, waste management remains associated with traditional collection and disposal activities. While these functions remain essential, they represent only part of a much broader and increasingly dynamic sector.

Today’s waste and resources industry is evolving rapidly. Digitalisation, AI, data analytics, resource recovery, carbon reporting, producer responsibility, and circular economy strategies are creating entirely new career pathways.

Organisations are diversifying their services and expanding their expertise far beyond traditional waste management. This evolution is helping to create opportunities for people with a wider range of backgrounds and skill sets.

Importantly, it is also creating workplaces where people want to stay. Major employers, such as Biffa and Veolia, have recently been recognised in national workplace rankings by the Sunday Times, demonstrating the sector’s growing focus on employee wellbeing, development and workplace culture.

While attracting talent remains important, retaining it is equally critical. Many people who enter the sector discover opportunities they never expected and build long, rewarding careers.

The AI worry

Of course, no discussion about the future workforce would be complete without mentioning artificial intelligence. Concerns about AI replacing jobs are becoming increasingly common across almost every sector.

It is a conversation that many early-career professionals are having as they consider their long-term career prospects. The waste and resources sector provides a useful example of how technology can enhance rather than replace careers.

AI-enabled sorting systems, improved data analysis and digital resource tracking are changing how the industry operates, but they are also creating demand for new skills. As the sector evolves, the challenge will be ensuring today’s workforce is equipped to work alongside emerging technologies rather than compete against them.

Raising awareness of the opportunity

Perhaps the biggest challenge is not attracting people once they discover the sector. It is ensuring they know it exists in the first place. Many students, graduates or incoming professionals are aware of careers in sustainability, renewable energy and conservation.

Far fewer understand the breadth of opportunities available within waste, resources and circular economy roles. If we want to future-proof the sector, we need to do a better job of showcasing the opportunities available and the impact these careers can have.

This means stronger engagement with schools, colleges and universities. It means promoting apprenticeships and graduate pathways; it means highlighting success stories and providing visible role models for the next generation; most importantly, it means changing perceptions.

As my term as CIWM Early Careers President comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on the fact that I rarely entered this sector at all. Had a friend not pointed me in the right direction, I may never have discovered the opportunities it offers.

The future challenge is not simply attracting people into the sector; it is ensuring they know the sector exists in the first place and the ever-more exciting opportunities it offers.

The circular economy will undoubtedly require new policies, investment and technologies. But ultimately, its success will depend on the people who design the systems, engage communities, develop solutions and drive change.

If we want to future-proof the circular economy, we must future-proof the workforce and the businesses that employ them. 

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Circular economy expert Wayne Hubbard explains why cities are the engine room of the circular economy.

The circular economy has been a buzz term for more than a decade now, but we are yet to see circular approaches embedded in local authorities, across geographies, up and across national government policy, and deep into the communities where everyday consumption happens. In short, we are yet to see the circular economy scale.

I believe the solution to the scale problem lies in cities, and that is because cities have four structural characteristics that combine in a way that no other actor or institution can replicate or match.

1. Density

Diverse populations and institutions concentrated in a defined geography mean that pilots can be run faster, more cheaply, and be more representative than almost anywhere else. A repair cafe, a materials reuse hub, or a clothing hire scheme can be tested and demonstrate real results within months, not years.

2. Networks 

Cities sit at the intersection of local government, business, civil society, and national policy in ways that no single sector can replicate independently. While I was CEO of ReLondon, we called this the ‘pinch point’ between policy and delivery. The ability to bring a landlord, a retailer, a community group, and a local authority into the same room, around a shared geography, is powerful. Crucially, cities also talk to each other across geographies, forming powerful global networks that are independent of national governments. (ICLEI, C40, GCoM).

3. Political scale 

A city-level position carries disproportionate weight with national government. A single local authority making representations on extended producer responsibility or deposit return schemes may find it difficult to get its voice heard. A megacity or a coalition of cities, speaking with one voice and backed by operational evidence, is very hard to ignore.

4. Diversity

Urban populations reflect a nation’s full range of incomes, cultures, and circumstances. Solutions that hold up in a city, particularly if they work across different neighbourhoods and communities, are far more likely to be successful elsewhere.

Why cities are unique

No other single type of actor has all four of these characteristics. National governments have political reach but are removed from local delivery. Businesses have delivery capability but often have limited convening power. Community-based organisations have place-based trust but limited scale.

The great thing is that towns and cities are everywhere, and most people globally live in them. The UN’s ‘World Urbanisation Prospects 2025’ provides some new and compelling data on cities and towns. The UN has developed a new and consistent approach to assessing urbanisation with their ‘Degree of Urbanisation’ methodology (DEGRUBA). Using national data and satellite imagery, they have discovered that over 80% of the world’s population now lives in towns and cities. Previously, relying on national definitions, the UN had thought that this number was nearer 50%.

Using this new methodology, cities are defined as having at least 1,500 inhabitants per km2 and a minimum population of 50,000. They are home to 45% of the world’s 8.2 billion people. Two-thirds of all global population growth between now and 2050 is projected to occur in cities.

The 12,140 cities tracked by the UN range from 33 megacities of 10 million or more, through 429 medium-sized cities of between one and five million and down to 9,807 very small cities with populations below 250,000. 96% of the world’s cities have fewer than one million inhabitants. The interesting thing is that about half the world’s city dwellers live in larger cities (above 1 million) and the other half live in smaller cities (below 1 million).

When we think about where the circular economy needs to take root, we tend to think that the largest cities would lead. In fact, except for London and Paris, it is the medium cities that have led the way; cities like Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Phoenix. Like London and Paris, these cities all have the resources, the networks, and the political profile to act.

They are also largely in the global north. So what is needed is twofold:

• examples from medium-sized cities are needed to influence the megacities and the smaller cities in the global north;
• and also take root in the global south, where the biggest cities are bigger and where much of the global population growth will come from.

So how can this happen? Working in London for many years, I have come to think about scale not as a single axis but as three distinct dimensions, drawing on the framework developed by Riddell and Moore.

In this framework:

Scaling out means building tools, frameworks, and approaches that others can use without you having to be in the room. Methodologies for material flow analyses of food, textiles and packaging, originally developed for London, have been adapted by other cities. Communications campaigns, such as Repair Week or Circular Economy Week, create shared brand value that any partner can amplify. Free to access toolkits and published learning do the same thing at a lower cost.

Scaling up means turning delivery evidence into policy change. Demonstrating that ambitious circular approaches are operationally feasible shifts policy debate from whether to how. Barriers to circularity can be evidenced. A unified city’s voice, backed by real data from the ground, lands differently with a government minister than lobbying from any individual organisation.

Scaling deep means embedding circular change in specific places and communities. High streets are a particularly powerful lever. In London, 95% of residents live within 10 minutes of a high street, which makes them a natural concentration point for repair services, reuse infrastructure, and circular business support.

Community-level repair and reuse networks carry a kind of trust that institutional programmes rarely achieve, and they address cost-of-living pressures directly. Alongside the environmental benefits are a plethora of social value co-benefits, such as addressing digital exclusion, food poverty, and loneliness.

What happens when cities scale successfully

These three dimensions reinforce each other. Deep delivery generates evidence that enables upward policy influence. That policy influence creates conditions for wider replication. Replication, in turn, feeds better learning back into the next round of delivery.

If a single city can scale in three dimensions, a network of cities can create a reinforcing system in which learning circulates, improves and generates new insights.

Larger cities tend to generate research, commission toolkits, and run ambitious pilots. Smaller cities contribute something equally important: refinements that make large-city approaches transferable to different contexts, innovations suited to less dense environments, and neighbourhood-scale evidence that larger cities might struggle to produce.

The relationship can therefore be genuinely reciprocal. As more cities apply, adapt and share their learning, the quality of what circulates improves. The network becomes more useful the more varied its participants.

Networks to support this work already exist: the EU’s Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI), the European Circular Cities Declaration, coordinated by ICLEI, and the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform. 

In the UK, we have formed the Circular Cities Network, and so we may well have access to fewer dedicated mechanisms since leaving the EU, but that gap is a reason to act, not to wait.

If cities are the answer, what action could they take right now? Here is a relatively simple proposition: what would happen if every city, regardless of size, asked a person or a small, dedicated team to develop three key circular economy recommendations across its municipality? 

A practical exercise, with a brief to identify where the city is spending money on linear systems that a circular approach could save, such as through procurement, where local businesses could capture value currently leaving the city as waste, making the local economy more resilient, and where residents face cost-of-living pressures that reuse, repair, and sharing services could directly address.

During my time at ReLondon, we supported over 500 London-based SMEs in adopting circular business models, generating local economic activity, creating employment and reducing both waste and emissions. A functional repair and reuse economy is one of the most direct practical responses to both cost-of-living issues and resilience, and it is one that cities, of all actors, are best placed to build.

There is an oft-used but unattributed quote: ‘while nations talk, cities act’. Cities have the density, the networks, the political voice and the community relationships to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon circular economy now, at a meaningful scale, in all three dimensions. The engine room is already built. The question is whether we are prepared to use it.

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