UK Waste trade advisory group, Manchester
22 November 2018
The LIFE SMART Waste project has brought together a range of key industry stakeholders to consider the persistent issue of criminality within the UK's waste management industry. As a result, a collaborative trade advisory group was formed to help develop a flourishing 'legitimate' waste management industry by creating a more hostile operating environment for criminals.
The first meeting of the group took place in Manchester on 21 November 2018 with attendees from a range of UK trade bodies and associations. The attendees agreed that more could be done to tackle illegal behaviours and crime within the waste industry and that collaborative action could help with the development of more effective interventions by regulators and enforcement bodies.
There was a clear consensus that the formation of a trade advisory group could help in many ways to provide a more level playing field for legitimate businesses. It was determined that group functions could, for example, include: raising industry awareness of waste crime issues; helping to coordinate industry responses to support initiatives to tackle waste crime; sharing of best practice between industry sectors; and providing input to influence legislative and policy changes.
The benefits of the trade advisory group collaboration were immediately evident with the sharing of best practice and relevant information between participating members. Following the meeting, for example, the Canal & River Trust were able to implement safeguards against vulnerabilities highlighted by the group for waste in inland waterways, with the promise of more detailed guidance to follow from the LIFE SMART Waste project team.
The members of the trade advisory group will initially include: Recycling Association; Chartered Institute of Waste Management (CIWM); Canal & River Trust; Dsposal; Recycling & Waste World; Wood Recyclers Association; Waste Brokers Management Association; Recoup; Road Haulage Association (RHA); and United Resource Operators Consortium (UROC). For future meetings, invitations will be extended to additional bodies with a mutual interest in achieving the group’s ambitions. It is anticipated that the LIFE SMART Waste project will host the next trade advisory group meeting in Quarter 1 2019.
All enquiries about the group should initially be sent to us using our online contact form.
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