EEF Calls for Stronger Stance on Waste Management for Manufacturing Industry
12 January 2012 - UK manufacturers association EEF is calling on the government to take a firmer line in its approach to waste and recycling in order to address a looming resource crunch.
Findings from a recent study show that 80% of senior manufacturing leaders now regard a shortage of raw materials as a major risk to their business, and 1 in 6 companies claim this shortage is putting brakes on growth in their industry.
According to the EEF, the problem of out of date legislation, limited access to waste facilities and declining resources means that Britain needs a far more ambitious approach to the management of waste.
EEF is urging the government to work with the manufacturing sector to develop a resource strategy that will enable materials, particularly those in scare supply, to be re-used.
They also propose that all companies have access to local authority recycling facilities, regardless of where they are based.
The organisation further says that major improvements to Britain’s national waste policy are needed to make it easier for companies to make the most out of the waste they produce as well as to reduce UK dependence on imports.
While the government’s Business Recycling and Waste Services Commitment describing how local authorities can help make it easier for businesses to recycle has been recently published, EEF said this should be part of national policy rather than voluntary.