The Circular Economy: Benefits in

Wales

Keith James

WRAP

Meeting the UK Climate Change Challenge

Resource Efficiency can make an immediate impact on UK GHG reductions at no net cost to the economy;

“Quick wins” could contribute 10% of the required reduction between carbon budgets 2 and 3 with further savings abroad;

75% of the energy savings from resource efficiency would fall outside of EU ETS.

Employment and the Circular Economy

The development of resource efficiency, unlike other industrial transitions, requires more labour. Significantly, regions where unemployment is higher could see the greatest impact in job creation, especially among low to mid skilled occupations where job losses are projected for the future.

Employment and the Circular Economy

25,000 37,000

Employment and the Circular Economy

25,000

55,000

The Most Effective Strategies

13 strategies • Those affecting consumption

have greatest impact on CO2eq emissions;

• 11 strategies taken forward in the WRAP Cymru Delivery Plan;

Targets: • Prevent 70,000 tonnes

waste • Divert 560,000 tonnes from

landfill • Sector growth of £1.2 million • Avoid 850,000 tonnes CO2eq

Case study:

Supporting organisations in Wales to reduce their energy water resource use and waste.

Case Study: Food Waste

In 2012, households in Wales discarded 210,000 tonnes of avoidable food waste.

Value £610 million

800,000 tonnes CO2eq

Further opportunities across the life cycle of food.

A collaborative, ‘whole chain’ approach, enabled by frameworks for action, supported by governments

Design Production Retail Consumption

Sustainable design,

buying and sourcing

Value chain optimisation

Consumption behaviours

Maximising the value

from waste materials and by-products

Theme 1 - Change what we supply through sustainable design buying and sourcing

Theme 2 - Change how we supply through value chain collaborations

Theme 3 - Change how we consume through influencing consumption behaviours

Theme 4 - Change what we do with wastes and by-products and maximise value

Courtauld 2025

Case Study: Reuse

In 2011 around 3% of household items were reused in Wales.

Households discarded products with a value of £140 million.

This could rise to 7% by 2025, avoiding 450,000 tonnes CO2eq and creating 300 jobs with further placements and volunteering opportunities.

Crest Co-Operative, Conwy

Case Study: Accelerating Reprocessing Infrastructure Development (ARID)

Aim: to increase the development of reprocessing and collections infrastructure in Wales’ Convergence Area (North West Wales, West Wales and the South Wales Valleys)

Conclusions

Addressing sub-optimal resource flows tackles the causes of climate change;

Pursuit of a more circular economy can address GHG emissions in Wales and abroad associated with Wales;

At the same time, it can boost employment.