Waste Strategy Refresh Guide

The publication of the Waste & Resources Strategy for England in late 2018, the subsequent Environment Act 2021, and Simpler Recycling policy announcement in 2024 provide a clear and long-term direction that enables local authority Waste Management Officers and Elected members with the opportunity to review and refresh municipal waste strategies with confidence.

Guiding concepts such as the waste hierarchy and proximity principle remain, with the package of legislative and market reforms now also placing strategic emphasis on the circular economy, waste minimisation and reduction of carbon emissions.  Technological development, innovation and ever evolving market capabilities and capacities provide the municipal sector with an increasing range on tactical options to address new strategic objectives.

And with many Councils’ looking to re-procure waste services over the short-medium term, the imperative to review and update a waste strategy has not been as strong since the nascent strategies that responded to landfill diversion.

This guide from WRM provides local authority waste management Officers with:

• Drivers for developing waste strategy
• An overview of key policy reforms
• A guide to what a strategy should include
• A process for refreshing a strategy
• Timescales for revising a strategy