TO BE PUBLISHED August 2025
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This conference will explore next steps for waste policy and the circular economy in England.
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to assess the way forward, particularly in relation to a range of developments including rollout of a new Deposit Return Scheme, a new Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme for packaging, launch of Simpler Recycling in England, and the development of a new Circular Economy Strategy to integrate and further extend these new regimes.
Sessions will explore key trends in the UK waste management and recycling sectors and approaches to maximising the potential of a developing circular economy to contribute to economic growth, including via new services and sustainable products. With the Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) scheme rolled out in March 2025, we expect discussion on key issues for implementation, including next steps for the new scheme administrator PackUK and challenges in meeting new responsibilities for stakeholders.
The agenda also looks at next steps regarding the rollout of the Simpler Recycling scheme, and latest thinking on what will be need to achieve aims to standardise waste collection and recycling processes across England, including business and local authority readiness and public awareness. Delegates will also look ahead to the expected launch of the new joint DRS for plastic, aluminium, and steel drinks containers in England and Northern Ireland in 2027, focussing on implementation issues, including the creation of Deposit Management Organisations and funding challenges.
Further sessions will assess options for future waste infrastructure, including the impact of planning reforms on efforts to meet landfill reduction targets for municipal waste. Attendees will consider the evolving role of incineration and energy-from-waste capacity in England’s waste system.
Discussion will also explore next steps in strategic coordination, with a focus on the Circular Economy Strategy currently in development by the Circular Economy Taskforce. The potential for aligning waste policy with wider regulatory and structural reform - including net zero delivery and the devolution agenda - will be examined, alongside insights from devolved nations, implications of the Procurement Act 2023, and evolving relationships with EU regulatory frameworks.
With the agenda currently in the drafting stage, overall areas for discussion include:
- policy:
- priorities for the circular economy strategy - options for regulator and policy measures to enhance waste management and recycling
- achieving sustainability while adhering to environmental and ethical standards
- options for streamlining regulatory processes to enable effective waste management - priorities for industry standards and the role of international cooperation in policy design
- implementation and challenges:
- progress so far and issues in the rollout of the new DRS - next steps for the pEPR - standardisation and public awareness of the Simpler Recycling scheme
- waste infrastructure:
- assessing whether new reform will help meet targets to reduce municipal waste to landfill by 2035 - the role of incinerators and energy from waste infrastructure in waste management
- circular economy:
- expanding recycling initiatives to reduce reliance on primary extraction - feasibility of large-scale commercial recycling
- policy incentives to support the development of secondary supply chains - integrating recycling into net zero strategies
- international relationships:
- the role of the UK in global waste management and recycling supply chains - partnerships with key international stakeholders
- funding:
- the roles of public and private investment in waste management and recycling - attracting international and domestic capital
- assessing potential incentives such as subsidies, tax reliefs, or financial backing through government schemes
