Extract from Lord's Hansard for 29 January 2006
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will take further steps to encourage product life cycle research into an expansion of inputs from recyclable and renewable items to reduce the incidence of unnecessary waste in finished industrial and commercial products. [HL1475]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker):
Lord Rooker, Minister of State
Defra is developing a holistic approach to tackling the most significant environmental impacts of products across their whole life cycle. This includes, but is not restricted to, addressing the waste impacts of products.
The Market Transformation Programme (MTP) supports government policy on sustainable products. The Government are funding the MTP through the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) Programme to do more work aimed at reducing waste impacts through action taken at the design stage of the supply chain.
In addition, the Department of Trade and Industry Technology Programme funds research and development into new technologies. Funds provided via the BREW Programme are helping to encourage more innovative approaches to product design to reduce unnecessary waste in their manufacture and use.
Remanufacture involves re-engineering end-of-life goods into as-new condition. It offers potential for improving business resource efficiency and profitability. An on-going pilot project under the BREW Programme is helping to expand knowledge in this area. We are currently discussing, with managers of the pilot project, how this work can be taken forward.
The government-funded Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has also been established to create stable and efficient markets for recycled materials and products, removing the barriers to waste minimisation, re-use and recycling.
WRAP's market development work includes developing new uses for recycled materials. For example, in its Manufacturing Programme, WRAP has committed to deliver three major projects over the next two years which aim to switch significant manufacturing processes from using virgin material to recycled material input. WRAP is also undertaking research and feasibility studies to identify further opportunities for manufacturers to use production based on recycled, rather than virgin, materials.
The Innovation Fund established under WRAP's Retail Programme aims to stimulate innovation in packaging and product design. Examples of innovation have included new technologies, reducing the weight of packaging and incorporating recycled content into packaging.
The Review of England's Waste Strategy will discuss further the Government's approach in these areas.
[Source: Lord's Hansard, 29 Jan 2007, Column WA1, Crown © 200]