Pressure on Defra to take control of environment
As the writing on the wall suggested, Labour has swept to power at the polls. Now they have to do the difficult part by making a success of government!
The in-trays for the new government are burgeoning right across Whitehall. There is an urgent need for action to arrest what many perceive as national dysfunction, where the UK has lost control of the basics.
If that sounds overblown, the reality couldn’t be starker. Never mind the pillars of society like health, education and housing, or factors that support a thriving economy, like restoring business confidence and attracting private investment. It runs far deeper than that. Even the quality of water – one of the most fundamental factors that supports life – seems to be out of control.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the guardian of the environment, and the pressure is on for it to move the agenda forward. It’s not about today, tomorrow, or the next five years of government when this political cycle comes to an end.
It’s about bringing the factors that are negatively impacting the environment under control and changing the narrative of a future dominated by projections of accelerating decline by using a holistic strategy.
So, with a mountain to climb and Labour now in the driving seat, who is leading the effort at the top?
Meet the new head of Defra
In the immediate wake of the election win, Prime Minister Kier Starmer appointed Steve Reed as the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. But what can we expect from the new appointee?
To enable us to answer this it is worth looking at his career. Steve Reed, a member of the Labour and Co-operative Party, entered parliament in 2012 and now represents the constituency of Streatham and Croydon North. Before his appointment at Defra, he had a varied political career. In opposition he held shadow cabinet roles at Defra, Local Government and Justice.
Before entering parliament, he made waves in local government. First elected as a member of Lambeth Council in 1998, he was appointed leader in 2006. He is credited with a significant turnaround in leading Lambeth’s improvement from London’s worst-run borough to a three-star rating by 2009.
This brought recognition from the Local Government Chronicle in 2011 as one of the top three most influential council leaders and he also ranked highly in the 2010 Pink List by The Independent on Sunday. Since 2010 he has been a contributor of thought leadership opinion pieces to The Guardian.
Steve Reed was pivotal to the establishment of the Co-operative Councils’ Innovation Network in 2012, a non-party-political active hub for co-operative policy development, innovation and advocacy. In 2013 he was awarded OBE for services to local government. Prior to local government, his career was in educational publishing.
What might we expect from Steve Reed?
Some big clues as to what we might expect from Steve Reed can be seen in his local government career and creation of the Co-operative Councils’ Innovation Network.
His approach seems to have collaboration at its heart, suggesting he is someone who seeks to consult with peers and experts, allowing decision-making to be led by consensus. Many will be hoping that he continues his track record of success in his new role.
Hopefully, he will preserve the benefits and build upon any positive strategic moves made by previous successive Conservative leaders of Defra. This would help to negate the criticism that short term political cycles are out of step with the need for a long term strategy to address our environmental issues.
Soon after his appointment Steve Reed unveiled 5 core priorities for Defra:
- Clean up rivers, lakes and seas
- Create a roadmap to move Britain to a zero waste economy
- Boost food security
- Ensure nature’s recovery
- Protect communities from the dangers of flooding
The waste management community will no doubt be pleased to learn that zero waste is a priority; however, this was rather inevitable. It is impossible to deal with any of these priorities in isolation. Our environmental issues are intrinsically linked. Driving the way forward to a zero waste economy depends on making progress in other areas and vice-versa.
To make progress, Defra under Steve Reed’s stewardship needs to refine and push through some of the major initiatives that had become slowed or enmired under previous administrations.
Central to achieving the zero waste economy is the need to drastically reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and increase recovery of raw materials including plastic, glass and minerals for reuse. Preparations continue for Simpler Recycling, the initiative that harmonises waste stream collections across England, starting in April 2026. However, a lot more is required.
UK-wide DRS (Deposit Return Scheme)
The UK is implementing Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) to increase recycling rates and reduce litter. While the overall goal is shared, the specific details and timelines vary across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
- Scotland – Was the first to announce a DRS, but its implementation has been delayed until at least October 2025 to align with other UK schemes.
- England and Northern Ireland – Are developing a joint DRS, with a target launch date of October 2027.
- Wales – Is also developing its own DRS, with details still being finalised.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in the UK
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) places the responsibility and costs of managing waste on producers rather than taxpayers. The goal is to encourage more sustainable packaging and increase recycling rates. Similar to DRS, EPR aims to create a more circular economy by making each producer accountable for the entire lifecycle of its products.
England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are all implementing EPR schemes for packaging. Under these schemes producers will be required to report the amount of packaging they place on the market. This reporting will then be used to charge producers fees and pay local authorities (LA) for managing packaging waste.
Tackle your waste management challenges with Whitespace
If Simpler Recycling, DRS and EPR are building blocks, then they are bricks in the wall of a circular economy where there is zero waste. Technology is a keystone, an enabler of initiatives like DRS and EPR, and underpins the success of achieving zero waste.
Whitespace is the UK’s partner of choice for technology solutions that address the logistical problems of waste management. To find out more about Whitespace Municipal Waste Management solutions, please get in touch by calling us on +44 (0)1483 231 650 or emailing us at info@whitespacews.com.