The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Waste and Resource Management Expert Panel Chair, Nigel Mattravers, said: “The European Commission’s new recycling targets rightly bring the need to develop a ‘circular economy’ to the fore, and will encourage EU member states to seek the optimum value from waste.
"The new 70% target is however extremely ambitious for the UK given the momentum behind the current 2020 goal of 50% recycling has flat lined, and meeting it will require strategic leadership and coordination.
“ICE believes this could be achieved through the creation of an Office for Resource Management sitting within Government – this would ensure the circular economy principle is fully understood and entrenched right across Government. It would also be responsible for liaison with devolved administrations in the pursuit of UK wide targets or EU regulations.”
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