29 September 2004 - DEFRA Unveil a New Waste Research Strategy
The Department for the Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs (National) (DEFRA), have unveiled at
Waste 2004, a new strategy for waste-related research on sustainable
waste management to inform policy.
The announcement of the publication of the research strategy, by Professor
Howard Dalton, DEFRA's Chief Scientific Advisor, explains the aim of the
strategy is to deliver at local and national levels, better informed
sustainable waste management policy development, implementation, monitoring
and evaluation.
The encouragement of research into cross-cutting issues has particular
emphasis within the strategy, but its basis is mainly on eight key themes as
follows:
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Sustainable resource consumption and management
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Systems for resource recovery
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Residual wastes management
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Market development and intervention
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Social dimensions
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Environment and health
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Risk assessment and impact management
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Economics and decision tools
An evaluation of priorities and budgets for the early implementation of the work, is provided for within the strategy. One early project, building on work already carried out in this area, conducted under the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme, with the aim of linking research efforts, will establish for the waste research community, an electronic library of research and online information resource.
Professor Howard Dalton commented:
"This strategy represents a useful step forward in the Government's long-term progress towards finding sustainable ways of managing waste. With good management, we can achieve greater national resource productivity and a cleaner, better-protected environment. To achieve these goals we need a solid evidence base and this waste research strategy, with its strategic focus and plans for disseminating research results, should help us to get closer to this goal".
Further information can be found by clicking the following link: Defra, UK - Environmental Protection - Recycling and Waste - Waste Research
Article by Alexandra Johnston
