10.4 Waste Management

10.4 Waste Management

Waste Management Policy for the Region is contained in the Eastern and Midlands Region Waste Management Plan 2015 – 2021. The overall vision of the Regional Waste Management Plan is to rethink the approach taken towards managing waste and that waste should be seen as a valuable material resource. The Plan, through this section and Chapter 7 Environment & Climate, also supports a move towards achieving a circular economy which is essential if the Region is to make better use of resources and become more resource efficient.

Waste is defined as anything that is discarded. A circular economy is one where materials are retained in use at their highest value for as long as possible and are then re-used or recycled, leaving a minimum of residual waste. This Strategy supports the move to a more circular economy as this will save resources, increase resource efficiency, and help to reduce carbon emissions. The successful implementation of circular economy principles will help to reduce the volume of waste that the Region produces and has to manage and will assist in delivering the resource efficiency ambition of the Europe 2020 Strategy.

REGIONAL POLICY OBJECTIVES:

Waste Management

RPO 10.25: Development plans shall identify how waste will be reduced, in line with the principles of the circular economy, facilitating the use of materials at their highest value for as long as possible and how remaining quantums of waste will be managed and shall promote the inclusion in developments of adequate and easily accessible storage space that supports the separate collection of dry recyclables and food and shall take account of the requirements of the Eastern and Midlands Region Waste Management Plan.

Local authorities should achieve waste reduction, increases in material re-use and recycling, and reductions in waste going for disposal. This can be achieved by complying with the strategic objectives, targets and goals set out in the Eastern – Midlands Region Waste Management Plan 2015 – 2021 and any subsequent waste management plans and promoting a more circular economy that improves resource efficiency and innovation to keep products and materials at their highest use for as long as possible. Waste minimisation and waste avoidance can be encouraged through the reuse of materials and using fewer resources in the production and distribution of products.

Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy

11 All Island Cohesion