Developing Sustainable Technologies for Waste: Improving Uptake through Partnership, 2004-2006

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.Sustainable waste management is one of the biggest environmental challenges facing the United Kingdom (UK). European and national legislation is beginning to require a fundamental shift from waste disposal - predominantly landfill in the UK - to a more integrated style of resource management involving sustainable technologies that deliver waste minimisation, re-use, recycling and composting. Although these principles have underpinned the development of national waste strategies for a number of years, successive regulatory and economic measures have so far failed to deliver. Many recycling and composting technologies are well established overseas, but with a recycling rate around 12 per cent, their uptake in the UK remains marginal. The main problem is not the development of appropriate systems and technologies, but the factors affecting their uptake. Developing Sustainable Technologies for Waste: Improving Uptake through Partnership, 2004-2006 aims to investigate the potential for multi-agent partnerships between local authorities, local/small businesses, and the community sector for developing and delivering public policy and sustainable technologies. The study identifies local authorities as key players in waste management. The case studies used are based in different Local Authority boundaries. The study is part of the Sustainable Technologies Programme (STP) which is a major research initiative by the ESRC. It funds innovative and policy-relevant research on the social and economic processes that shape, foster or inhibit more sustainable technologies. More information can be found at the Sustainable Technologies Programme web page. The study is project 8. Further information is also available at the ESRC Delivering Sustainable Technologies for Waste: Improving Uptake through Partnership award web page. Main Topics:The main topics include:sustainable waste managementrecycling ratespartnership working relationshipscentral and local government interactioninnovation