Member Article

Low waste economy boost for North East

An innovative plan being developped in the North East could generate in excess of £30 million per year for the UK economy, by re-using,recycling and reducing resources which are currently sent to landfill.

The Sustainable Resources Management Plan for North East England has been developped by a public-private sector partnership, who are concerned at the long and short term ienvironmental impacts of using landfills.

The project, which is led by the North East Sustainable Resources Board, (NESRB) was launched by the board’s chair, the Rt Hon Lord Jack Cunningham of Felling, in partnership with the North East Economic Forum.

The North East currently generates 8.6 million tonnes of commercial and household waste every year of which 2.6 million ends up on landfill sites. The combined value of these resources being landfilled in 2010 was £33 million.

The proposal responds directly to the challenges set out in the Government’s latest waste strategy, and considered the problems, costs and opportunities associated with the issue, and includes a framework to meet the challenges.

The groundbreaking projects involved would place the North East at the forefront of the renewable economy, and will help the region to maximise the value of resources which are currently wasted.

Lord Cunningham commented: “Resources that leave the North East for recycling are treated by others as valuable materials. We need to build a network of industries in the North East which would benefit from recovering the value of these resources.

“We need to reduce demand on natural resources and pressure on the environment and this plan is pivotal to that objective. It will help businesses to reduce costs, improve competitiveness and sustainability at a crucial time in the economy. This will ensure the region has the opportunity to lead the way in this developing area of policy.”

Twelve project areas have been chosen, and the NESRB will now begin to work with partners around the region to create commercial opportunities and attract investment.

Hugh Morgan Williams, chair of NEEF, said: “This is a great blueprint for improving the region’s resource management and developing a successful and sustainable low carbon economy.

“Fortunately, we’re not starting from scratch, as the North East already has considerable expertise and experience in this area with a collection of some of the most advanced initiatives in resource processing.

“The exciting projects outlined in this Plan will help to build on this and create an even stronger platform. They will help to create new businesses, jobs and investment across the area, as well as reducing demand on natural resources and the environment.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .