For the first time the level of waste produced by manufacturing is set to be less than our service industry, a new report has outlined.
Rubbish Economy, a review of business waste production in England, is being launched at waste and recycling exhibition RWM in partnership with CIWM, now underway at Birmingham's NEC.
Rubbish Economy illustrates how this change mirrors the shift in our economy from manufacturing to service industries and how the ongoing decline anticipated within the manufacturing industry is likely to see this trend continue.
The report also outlines how the reduction in total levels of waste produced by industrial and commercial businesses results from a variety of factors. These include recession and economic or sectoral decline, increased operational efficiency and the increase in landfill tax as well as increased recycling and waste minimisation.
And as landfill tax increases, the report highlights how new technologies such as energy recovery will become a cheaper alternative to landfill for waste that cannot be recycled.
Rubbish Economy author and Urban Mines managing director Peter Scholes said: "Rubbish Economy highlights how the waste we produce reflects our broader economy and some of the challenges this will continue to bring for our recycling and waste management sectors. This will include the development of new infrastructure such as material recovery facilities and energy recovery plants."
RWM in partnership with CIWM event director Gerry Sherwood said: "This year's RWM in partnership with CIWM will help the industry to meet some of the challenges identified by Rubbish Economy. For example the rapidly growing trend of recovering energy from waste is set to be the focus of its very own area and seminar theatre for the first time at the event. Many of the technology and service providers at the very cutting edge of producing energy from waste will also be present."
As the single flagship event for the waste and recycling sectors this year's RWM in partnership with CIWM features more than 650 exhibitors and 90 speakers in 72 seminar and workshop sessions.
Top industry speakers include the former director of the CBI, and minister of state for trade and industry, Lord Digby Jones, leading environmental adviser Sir Jonathon Porritt and environmental columnist Lucy Siegle. In addition, a brand new Innovation Trail will highlight some of the sector's most groundbreaking products and services.