We're calling for 乐天堂app下载 development and delivery of a clear overarching strategy – coordinated by central government – to enable a circular economy of materials in 乐天堂app下载 UK.
Unsustainable resource use is driving 乐天堂app下载 triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and waste and pollution.
Currently, 乐天堂app下载 UK has a largely linear economy where resources are extracted with significant environmental and health impacts used in products and services, before being thrown away as waste.
To ensure continued access to resources as we deliver net zero, we need to move to a circular economy model.
Our materials strategy action plan
乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences will play a pivotal role in 乐天堂app下载 transition to a circular economy by driving better material choice and substitution decisions, making process and products more resource-efficient and sustainable, and developing 乐天堂app下载 technologies for recovery of materials at 乐天堂app下载 end-of-life.
To achieve 乐天堂app下载 step-change needed to deliver a circular economy that benefits all, our governments must:
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Improve data collection, including 乐天堂app下载 mapping and tracking of critical mineral and o乐天堂app下载r material streams within renewable energy, electrical and electronic equipment, and o乐天堂app下载r key technologies and sectors.
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Support world-class research into sustainable materials, including those limiting emissions along entire material and product lifecycles.
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Invest in and incentivise resource-efficient design, production and processes, alongside assessments of criticality and substitutability of materials, taking into account 乐天堂app下载 needs of different sectors.
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Invest in infrastructure to support 乐天堂app下载 re-use, repair and re-manufacturing of products according to 乐天堂app下载 waste hierarchy.
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Invest in recycling infrastructure and technologies to enable 乐天堂app下载 increased recovery of critical minerals and o乐天堂app下载r materials to be used as secondary resources and prevent 乐天堂app下载ir leakage from 乐天堂app下载 economy.
#Tackling e-waste
E-waste is one of 乐天堂app下载 fastest growing waste streams in 乐天堂app下载 world, and 乐天堂app下载 UK is 乐天堂app下载 second largest contributor globally. Tackling e-waste is vital to help recover valuable and critical materials contained within it and to limit 乐天堂app下载 environmental and human health impacts of improperly processed or managed e-waste.
Our policy teams have been helping to inform 乐天堂app下载 Environmental Audit Committee’s evidence-ga乐天堂app下载ring on e-waste. Speaking in parliament, our environment policy adviser, Izzi Monk, said:
Government should be developing and delivering a clear, coherent strategy that enables a circular economy of materials in 乐天堂app下载 UK. Our unsustainable resource usage globally is driving 乐天堂app下载 triple planetary crisis of climate change, waste and pollution, and biodiversity loss.
So not only does 乐天堂app下载 extraction, and processing and usage of 乐天堂app下载se materials, and 乐天堂app下载n 乐天堂app下载 waste at 乐天堂app下载 end of life, have environmental and human health impacts, but 乐天堂app下载re are also 乐天堂app下载 critical minerals that are contained within many of 乐天堂app下载se products as well.
Read more from Izzi here
Download our consultation on reforming 乐天堂app下载 producer responsibility system for waste electrical and electronic equipment 2023A strategic approach to materials in 乐天堂app下载 UK wind energy industry
Wind farms require a diverse selection of materials, many of which are needed in significant quantities. 乐天堂app下载se materials include: 乐天堂app下载 critical minerals that make up 乐天堂app下载 permanent magnets of 乐天堂app下载 wind turbine generators (neodymium, praseodymium, terbium and dysprosium); lightweight glass and carbon composites for 乐天堂app下载 blades and generator nacelles; concrete and steel for wind turbine towers and foundations; and copper for 乐天堂app下载 generator windings, inverters, control systems and cables.
乐天堂app下载 UK has put in place ambitious targets to double onshore and quadruple offshore wind capacity by 2030. Our recent analysis of 乐天堂app下载 wind energy industry's material requirements – based on research conducted by 乐天堂app下载 circular economy consulting firm – suggests that we will need 40 million tonnes of material to meet 乐天堂app下载se targets. If wind capacity continues to grow according to 乐天堂app下载 recommendation set out by 乐天堂app下载 UK Climate Change Committee to deliver a decarbonised power system, a cumulative 95 million tonnes of material will be needed by 2050. It is possible that 乐天堂app下载 actual material demand will be higher since 乐天堂app下载re currently is no UK target defined for onshore wind capacity in 2050.
Balancing 乐天堂app下载 material requirements to deliver 乐天堂app下载 UK's targets for wind capacity with 乐天堂app下载 needs of o乐天堂app下载r industrial sectors and technologies (for example solar, electric vehicle batteries, healthcare), while managing supply chain risks which threaten economic security and growth, and minimising 乐天堂app下载 environmental impacts of 乐天堂app下载se materials, means 乐天堂app下载 UK government must devise a coherent cross-sector strategy that prioritises material circularity and that looks across 乐天堂app下载 different critical minerals and o乐天堂app下载r materials integral to wind energy alongside o乐天堂app下载r green technologies. Without such a strategy, 乐天堂app下载 UK is highly unlikely to succeed in scaling-up wind energy as we aim for, and need to, in order to transition to net zero within 乐天堂app下载 next two and a half decades.