Successful delivery of the policies as set out in this document will require a robust framework for implementation. Monitoring is essential to allow us to measure and assess the level of progress made and to feed programmed reviews to ensure that the strategy maintains a clear focus on the key priorities for the Region.

A Regional management group will be established to manage and coordinate the implementation, monitoring and review of the strategy, focussing initially on quantifying the resources required to deliver the strategy, identifying how to secure those resources and ensuring that partner organisations are in a position to progress the required work areas. It is intended that this core group will then work with partners to deliver each of the 10 priority issues, through a network of existing and new initiatives and topic-based working groups as required.

Implementation
Funding and Resources

Delivery of the RWS depends on provision of the required levels of resource, and the correct allocation of those resources based on the priorities as set out in this strategy document. It would appear that the East Midlands has been relatively poor in securing the funding sources available to address these issues to date, for example:

• The Landfill Tax Credit Scheme (LTCS) has historically been an important source of funding to promote improved waste management. However, as at October 2004 only
  6.5% of LTCS funding had been allocated to the East Midlands. (Source: Entrust)
• Similarly, a fund called CRED (Community Recycling and Economic Development), part of the Lottery Fund “Transforming Waste” initiative, has so far awarded a total of only £229,000 to 2 initiatives in the East Midlands. In total the CRED programme had approved nearly 100 bids nationally as at October 2004, with a total value in the region of £18 million. (Source: RSWT)

It should be noted that this is not the fault of the funding holders, but suggests a need to ensure that more initiatives are developed and quality bids submitted from organisations
within the region, ensuring a higher proportion of available resources is secured in future.

BREW - the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste Programme

£284 million over 3 years has been allocated nationally from 2005/6 to support the  implementation of resource efficiency and waste management initiatives. It is therefore
essential that organisations within the Region make a coordinated effort to maximise the potential benefits of this new programme for the East Midlands.

Policy RWS 11

Regional and local partners should make coordinated effort to secure the maximum benefit of potential funding opportunities for the development of sustainable consumption, production and waste management initiatives in the Region.

The role of Social Enterprise and the Community Sector 

Although waste management is largely dominated by large multinational businesses operating long-term contracts, the value of community schemes and social enterprises should not be underestimated.This was reenforced in 2004 by DEFRA’s announcement of a £4m support programme for the community waste sector.

The community presently sector currently deliver a range of projects including:

• Kerbside collection of dry-recyclables and organics materials (often working in partnership with Local Authorities)
• Waste management service delivery in isolated or hard to reach communities
• Diversion of items suitable for reuse (such as furniture) and supply to those who can make use of the goods (e.g. through scrapstores)
• Community composting and domestic waste reduction advisory schemes
• Commercial waste recycling collection (e.g office recycling services,wood recycling etc)
• Advice to other community groups, SMEs and schools.
  

Information provided by the Community Recycling Network (CRN) suggests that there are only 12 registered CRN member groups operating in the Region, although there are over 30 registered furniture projects and potentially many more active independent initiatives. On this basis, the actual contribution of this sector to waste management in the Region appears largely unknown. Nevertheless, the potential provision of DEFRA funding suggests that there is considerable potential.The current and potential future contribution of the sector therefore needs to be assessed. This assessment could include:

• Gap analysis to indicate where community sector contributions could be most effective to delivery of sustainable consumption, production and waste management.
• Investigation into creation of a regional support network Potential for job creation/skills development
• The potential role of the community sector in the delivery of education and behavioural change

Policy RWS 12

National, Regional and local partners should evaluate the current contribution and potential future role of the Community and Social Enterprise Sector in delivery of the Regional Waste Strategy and a support infrastructure should be developed to help ensure that the sector’s contribution and value in the Region is maximised.

Development and implementation of new and Innovative Waste Technologies

The future development of sustainable waste management depends heavily on the Region’s diversification from “traditional”, historic consumption, production, waste generation and waste management techniques. In particular there is a need to embrace the development of:

• Efficient consumption and production techniques
• Innovative re-manufacturing and recycling techniques
• “New” (or perhaps more accurately - “as yet less commonly used”) waste processing technologies such as invessel composting, anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, gasification, feedstock-recycling and autoclaving.

This is particularly applicable to those waste streams subject to increasing regulatory control – biodegradeable wastes (especially those subject to Animal-By Products controls) and contaminated soils are two examples for which alternative treatment solutions need to be developed and delivered as a matter of urgency. A report produced by EMDA on the Environmental Economy of the Region in 2002found that there are 418 companies in the region involved in waste management, employing over 7500 people.However, although the Region has a considerable and successful track-record in the provision of business support to promote resource efficiency, the research, development and provision of new waste management technologies and their use within the Region apparently remains limited.

As well as helping the Region to move towards improved resource efficiency and achievement of waste recycling, recovery and diversion targets, the development of this particular sector is likely to result in job creation, diversification and skill development amongst the Regions workforce.

Considerable effort is being made on a nationwide basis by DEFRA,WRAP and others to ensure the development and use of new waste technologies. It is therefore vital that the Region capitalises on the opportunities available.

Policy RWS 13

Regional and local partners should promote the research, development, trial and long-term adoption of alternative, novel and emerging waste reduction and treatment technologies in the East Midlands, where improved valorisation of waste and reduced environmental impact can be clearly evidenced in accordance with the waste hierarchy.

Influencing National Policy

This strategy sets out the key issues for waste management within the East Midlands and measures that should be taken within the Region to ensure sustainable consumption, production and waste management in future. However, many factors in the delivery of this agenda are dependent upon Central Government policy and the availability of adequate funding and resources. It is therefore vital that the East Midlands clearly identify,
communicate and where necessary proactively lobby on key issues where appropriate.

Examples of key issues which need to be raised at a national level include:

• improvement in the provision of waste management data to enable better strategic waste planning
• quantification and recognition of the contribution of waste management practices such as home composting
• the potential options to remove barriers to the management of other wastes together with MSW through PFI or other similar contractual arrangements
• the promotion of restoration and improved maintenance of building stock in preference to demolition and new build
• The provision of adequate services and facilities to enable small businesses and in future agricultural premises, to recycle or recover their waste wherever possible.

Monitoring

As set out in the Strategy, the availability of year-on-year data on waste management within the Region is currently limited to waste handled by local authorities. DEFRA are
currently developing proposals for an improved national waste data recording system, however in the interim it is proposed that performance against the proposed Regional Waste Strategy policies is measured using data that is known to be available on an ongoing basis wherever possible.

Data collection, modelling and monitoring

It is widely acknowledged that the available data on waste management (both nationally and Regionally) is inconsistent and in some cases, lacking – making strategic planning for future waste management difficult.This has been recognised at a national level and DEFRA are therefore developing a waste data initiative to address the problem.This suggests that considerable funding (for example from the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme) may be allocated to improved data management in future.

As a Region, the East Midlands must therefore ensure that sufficient resources are secured to ensure that a comprehensive data is available on a year-to-year basis to allow monitoring of progress and future strategic planning. Modelling work will also be required, for example using the REWARD REEIO model to assess changing trends and future requirements.

Policy RWS 14

Resources should be secured by the Region to improve the availability and quality of data on resource consumption, production efficiency, waste arisings,movements and management.The RTAB, emda, EMRA and GOEM should therefore liaise at a Regional and National level to ensure that this data is collected, collated, analysed and disseminated so as to meet all stakeholder needs.

Review

This strategy aims to cover the period from the present to 2021 in line with the Regional Spatial Strategy.However the rapid development and changes in waste management at a National and Regional level mean that regular reviews of the Strategy are essential. It is therefore proposed that the Strategy is reviewed on a 3-yearly basis, subject to the availability of suitably robust data on which to make a valued review effective.