Repair, reuse, recycle: Making the circular economy in England work at scale

Like most developed countries, the UK produces millions of tonnes of unnecessary waste each year. In 2020, the last year data was recorded, we produced 191m tonnes of total waste, with England responsible for 163m tonnes of this total. The UK also consumes resources at a level around triple the amount deemed sustainable by the UN.

Restructuring the economy could help to address both these problems simultaneously, argues senior researcher Eloise Sacares. In particular, the ‘circular economy’ describes a system where materials are kept in circulation for as long as possible, through measures such as reducing initial material use, increasing product durability, and repairing, reusing, or recycling products at the end of their life. Several factors have held back progression to a more circular economy, including a lack of political prioritisation by successive governments, a lack of clear targets, and a lack of financial incentives.

This policy briefing sets out how government policy can upscale the circular economy. It first sets out the key features of the circular economy in England, before identifying practical steps to reduce unnecessary waste and upscale the circular economy in three key sectors: construction, automotives, and food and drink.