Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) Programme

Mark Atherton

Head of Sustainable Development

Northwest Regional Development Agency

Nick Storer

Head of Environmental Technologies

Envirolink Northwest

Overview

Background

National Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) Programme

Regional Delivery of BREW Research, Planning and Partnerships Better Communication (Environment Connect) Acceleration through coordination (NW Waste Project)

Conclusion

Background

Northwest England 230,000 businesses 6.8 million people £ 98bn economy

The Northwest is the second largest UK producer of waste, generating approximately 24 million tonnes per annum:

8.3m tonnes of Commercial and Industrial Waste 3.8m tonnes Commercial 4.5m tonnes Industrial

11m tonnes of Construction and Demolition Waste (Regulator Estimate) 0.6m tonnes Hazardous Waste

Landfilling is not a sustainable long-term option

Barriers to UK Waste Strategy Not enough focus on waste reduction, minimisation and reuse

Concern over inappropriate targeting of funding

Too many initiatives in place with a lack of coordination at strategic level

Lack of comprehensive, robust data on Commercial & Industrial Waste

Lack of understanding of the key issues relating to waste i.e. cost

Constraints on waste management industry i.e. planning, risk, resource limitations

True Cost of Waste

37% of all businesses think that their organisation has no environmental impact. (Envirowise 2003)

British manufacturing could add £2-3 billion to its profits if environmental best practice were made standard, wastage of raw materials reduced and waste re-used or sold as recovered products. (Cambridge Econometrics 2003)

Barriers to Business Engagement

Lack of knowledge of the issues

Businesses don’t know where to go for the support they need

Lack of time, staff resource and expertise to address resource efficiency

There is a plethora of different programmes and projects offering support to businesses

Delivery bodies are not always aware of the needs of businesses in the region

BREW Programme Aim

3 year programme, to return additional landfill tax receipts, from April 2005, to business in a way that supports businesses in improving their resource efficiency and waste management.

£43M

£146M

£95M

2005/6 2006/7 2007/8

BREW Year 2 Funding

Awareness raising Practical Support for

Minimisation Value from Unused Resources Recycling of Waste Changing behaviours Reducing risks to business

20%

27%

6%10%2%

4%

0%

4%

2%

9%

13%3% Envirowise

Carbon trust

NISP

WRAP

RSWT

EA

Strategic Supply Chain Group

MTP

Defra

DTI

RDA

Contingency/Pilot

The RDA role - Regional coordinationCoherent Communication

To ensure businesses are getting a good service To ensure businesses know where to go for the support they

need To ensure delivery bodies are aware of the needs of businesses

Coherent Delivery

• To ensure businesses are not approached in a haphazard manner• To ensure delivery bodies are not overlapping in the provision of advice and support to business• To enable gaps and synergies to be identified

Regional BREW Delivery Support

ENWORKS - helps SMEs in the Northwest increase their competitiveness and reduce their impact on the environmental by providing a range of practical business resource efficiency support services

Envirolink Northwest - supports the development of the Environmental Technologies and Services sector in the Northwest through: stimulation of R&D activity; development of skills and knowledge; and promotion of the ETS sector regionally, nationally and internationally

BREW-NW Activities

SHORT TERM

• Wider Waste Action Plan

• Communications Strategy

• Stakeholder Engagement

• Regional project support

• Coordination of regional resource efficiency support

• Online Monitoring Toolkit

LONGER TERM

• Environment Connect• Northwest Waste Project• Joint partnership initiatives

• Sustainable Procurement• Green Tourism

• Additional Research

Wider Waste Action Plan Develop new markets for recyclable materials Establish demonstration plants Link Research & Development Develop case studies & pilots Highlight the business opportunities from recycling Gather better data on wider waste Improve coordination amongst delivery bodies Support current programmes of activity Promote closer integration of wider waste and municipal waste treatment

Upgrade skills to meet the emerging demand

Communications Strategy

Perceived sources of help on environmental issues

Local Authorities

Waste Businesses

EnvironmentalRegulatorTrade/professional orgs

Consultants/advisors

Environment Connect

Simplify how businesses can access the right support for their business needs.

Service complexities should be invisible One interface Match business needs to services in an informed and objective way

ESTABLISH COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE Signposting website Freephone helpline number Robust referral system

Northwest Waste Project Feasibility Study Undertaken

Partnership between the Public & Private Sectors

Coordinate a suite of activities to:

Link Research & Development

Demonstrate waste technologies

Eg Orchid Biof-uel Plant

Developing the supply chain

Developing the market

Funding from NWDA, DEFRA, Waste Authorities & Waste Businesses

NW-WTCE Board

Project Executive

Director

Project Team

Stakeholder Advisory Group

Supply Chain Initiative

“Enable NW industry to access the £1bn per year waste industry capital build programme”

A programme of activities enabling NW manufacturing and construction industries to understand, access and enter the supply chains for large waste treatment capital projects, where technology is from NW, UK or overseas

NW Market Development Initiative

Development of sustainable markets for key recyclable wastes across the NW

Regional & Sub-Regional Waste Strategy Support

• Technology advice & support • Support for cross-regional collaboration• Technology advice & support • Support for cross-regional collaboration

Admin support

Project Steering Group

Project Steering Group

Project Steering Group

Project Steering Group

Demonstrators

Develop, support, monitor & promote demonstrations of NW waste treatment technologies

Project 1

Project 2

Project 3

Project 4

etc

R&D

Active Network of industry and HEIs generating new waste treatment technologies

Project 1

Project 2

Project 3

etc

AD Research Facility

•Glass

•Paper

•Compost

•Plastics

Conclusion

Regional coordination can add significant value to National initiatives Strong partnership working is key to success Need to:

Clearly define the problemUnderstand the issues Plan and prioritiseConsult with stakeholdersBuild upon existing regional frameworksContinually monitor and evaluate results