Read CIWEM's latest report: Less is More - A lifecycle approach to
waste prevention and resource optimisation
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The revised EU Waste Framework Directive requires all Member States
to produce waste prevention programmes by the end of 2013.
This report aims to assist in the
production of England's waste prevention programme and also raise
greater awareness that it is not solely an issue for the waste
management industry.
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Waste prevention is key to the circular
economy as it designs out waste. By looking at materials at the
beginning of the production process, there is the potential to
prevent waste by influencing the design, production and use stages
which provides opportunities for business efficiency through the
better use of processes and resources. This report shows the
potential for waste prevention across material lifecycles, from
extraction to disposal, in a bid to show that it is not a measure
for the end-of-product-life.
By tackling waste prevention we can take a holistic
approach to:
- resource efficiency - material, labour and
energy savings
- resource security - protection against price
volatility and imbalances in supply, protection against economic,
social and geopolitical risk
- reducing environmental externalities -
greenhouse gas emissions, water use, land use, energy use, embodied
carbon, toxicity and amenity from less need for virgin
materials
- improved national competitiveness - exporting
knowledge on design and processes, anticipating scarcity driven
price rises
CIWEM's work on waste and resources is taken forward by the Waste
Management technical panel focusing on international waste
policy and legislation, contaminated land, waste minimisation,
resource issues, energy use and new technologies.
CIWEM's Policy Position Statements on
waste and resources:
