Economy and Resources
- Avoiding waste and creating a circular economy
- Reducing emissions from unavoidable biodegradable waste and wastewater treatment
- Using the purchasing power of Devon’s organisations
- Supporting communities and businesses to transition to net-zero
7.1 Introduction
Historically we have made products, used them and thrown them away. This behaviour creates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during manufacturing, transportation to the customer and disposal. Emissions from manufacturing and transport are reported in other sections of this Plan. Waste disposal contributes 9% of Devon’s GHG emissions.1 Devon’s purchasing of goods produced abroad creates emissions overseas which represent 38% of the total emissions Devon is responsible for.
This section of the Plan describes changes needed to achieve a socially-just and net-zero carbon economy that has the potential to create up to 700,000 jobs in England by 2030.2 It introduces goals for overcoming barriers to achieving net-zero. Actions are then proposed to achieve the goals.
7.2 The Change Needed
- Avoid waste and create a circular economy though purchasing less, repairing, sharing, reusing, buying second hand, and recycling
- Reduce emissions from unavoidable biodegradable waste and wastewater treatment
- Use the purchasing power of Devon’s organisations to benefit the environment and local communities
- Support communities and businesses to transition to net-zero.
7.2.1 Avoid waste and create a circular economy
We can minimise waste creation and keep resources in circulation in the economy for longer, by implementing the waste hierarchy (Figure 7.1) – purchasing less, reusing and repairing what we already have, and recycling and recovering materials and energy.
Figure 7.1 – The Waste Hierarchy.
Prevention
Repairing items rather than replacing them avoids the need to buy new products. Sharing items results in fewer goods being produced overall – many of us own items we rarely use, such as DIY tools, camping equipment and a car.3 Devon already has 14 community Repair Cafes which help people repair items,4 and has many sharing economy initiatives, such as The Share Shed in South Hams.
Reuse
Buying second-hand goods prevents them becoming waste, reduces the need for new items and saves money. Trading websites have become popular for reselling unwanted items, as are second-hand stores and charity shops.
Recycling
Many if not most goods that are no longer required can and need to be recycled. The national target is to recycle 65% of municipal waste by 2035. The recycling and composting rate of waste from households across the Devon County, Torbay and Plymouth City council areas in 2019/20 was 56%, 40% and 34% respectively. This makes Devon County Council’s recycling performance the second-best of any county in England.5 Central government estimates the recycling rate of commercial waste to be between 34 and 40%.6
Other recovery
In 2019 Devon stopped landfilling all except a small fraction of waste collected from households and businesses by local authorities. Waste is now either recycled, composted or used for energy recovery. Landfilling of some waste collected by commercial waste carriers does still occur.
Completing the circle
The concept of a circular economy promotes the design and manufacturing of products that make them easy to repair, reuse and be recycled into new products. There is also an important behaviour element to the circular economy – otherwise recyclable or repairable items can still end up in the ‘black bin’ for landfill or incineration (Figure 7.2).
7.2.2 Reduce emissions from unavoidable biodegradable waste and wastewater treatment
Biodegradable wastes, such as food, produce methane when they decompose in landfill. Methane is a greenhouse gas. The CCC recommends that avoidable food waste is reduced by 20% by 2025, relative to 1990, and that no biodegradable wastes should enter landfill after 2025.17 The CCC also recommends that wastewater treatment reduces methane and nitrous oxide (another greenhouse gas) emissions by at least 20% by 2050.7
7.2.3 Use the purchasing power of Devon’s organisations
Anchor institutions (organisations that cannot relocate, such as councils, hospitals and schools) need to nurture local, sustainable supply chains by placing higher value on the carbon and social impact of procurement decisions. This needs to include implementing the principles of the waste hierarchy and the circular economy.
7.2.4 Support communities and businesses to transition to net-zero
All businesses will need to change their behaviours to reduce their emissions. Furthermore, some sectors will shrink whilst others will have the opportunity to grow and new sectors will emerge. Devon will need to support its citizens to learn the skills needed for a net-zero economy and ensure the transition to new industries is socially inclusive.
Households, businesses and public organisations will need to access finance to invest in the changes required. A sustained low-carbon investment of £50 billion annually will be required between 2030 and 2050 across the UK, up from £10 billion in 2020.
7.3 Greenhouse Gas Outcomes
Figure 7.3 shows Devon’s net GHG emissions from the waste sector in the context of Devon’s total emissions. Only the waste emissions are shown separately in the figure, as actions to decarbonise other parts of the economy are discussed in other sections of the Plan (e.g. transport, buildings and agriculture). Net-emissions from waste in 2019 were 0.6Mt CO2e. The Figure also shows the projected reduction trajectories to 2050 as a result of the delivery of the CCC’s Further Ambition Scenario aided by the actions in the Plan. Through the activities identified in this Plan, by 2050, Devon’s emissions from waste are expected to fall to 0.2Mt CO2e per year and will become net-zero through activities that remove CO2 from the atmosphere.
7.4 Other Opportunities and Benefits
- Community initiatives to improve resource efficiency, such as Repair Cafés, can help boost community cohesion and reduce social isolation.
- More efficient resource use will save Devon’s businesses money and allow them to invest further in staff and technology.
- More value will be retained in local communities.
- The net-zero carbon economy across Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall is expected to deliver a £45 billion economic boost and create 190,000 jobs by 2035.
7.5 Devon’s Goals to Meet Net-Zero
Devon has seven goals relating to Economy and Resources for how we achieve net-zero.
7.5.1 Goal EA – A Culture of ‘Enoughness’ is Created
There is a deep cultural shift required to move away from buying things we want towards only purchasing items we need. This culture of “enoughness” seeks to encourage people to share resources, lease instead of own, swap, repair, buy second hand, reuse and recycle.
It also encourages the enjoyment of other experiences, such as self-care, continuing education, hobbies, sports, time in nature and the arts, over material consumption as routes to happiness. These experiences and services can also create important economic opportunities for Devon.
Communities need skills to develop schemes to repair, share and swap items. Devon’s Community Action Group (CAG) Network does this8 and is currently focused in Mid Devon and Teignbridge. Projects like this should be extended across Devon.
Nineteen of the 22 Household Waste Recycling Centres put aside items for reuse in the on-site shops. There is scope to improve these reuse opportunities.
New business models are being offered to encourage better stewardship of resources. For example, innovative clothing companies are incentivising recycling by offering discounts on subsequent purchases when garments are returned. We need to help such initiatives spread.
The Actions
R1. Deliver targeted communication to empower people and businesses to adopt more sustainable consumption habits, prevent waste and shift to a culture of sharing, reusing and recycling.
R2. Support communities to establish waste and resources projects.
R3. Improve the reuse facilities at Household Waste Recycling Centres.
R4. Encourage the enjoyment of low-carbon experiences rather than material consumption.
R5. Support immature industries and new models that have the potential to contribute to delivering net-zero.
Case Study
Proper Job Community Reuse Centre
Proper Job Community Reuse Centre is a charity that aims to keep reusable items from being disposed of by putting them on sale in an “Aladdin’s cave of pre-loved treasures”.
Everything from baths, crockery and clothes to garden furniture and building materials are on sale, often at a fraction of their original cost.
Proper Job additionally offers training and skill sharing sessions, such as composting workshops, to promote the benefits of reusing, recycling and reducing. They also help and encourage other communities to follow their lead.
7.5.2 Goal EB – Most Materials are Recycled
Household kerbside collections
Consistent collection services are needed across the County.9 Five of the eight district authorities and Torbay Council have aligned their collections, leaving Exeter, East Devon, Mid Devon and Plymouth operating different regimes. This coordination has led to reduced waste production and increased recycling rates.6
Collecting black bins’ less frequently and/or reducing bin size stimulates greater recycling. East Devon District Council introduced three-weekly collections in 2017 and now has the highest recycling rate and lowest residual waste per household in Devon.9 Other Waste Collection Authorities (WCAs) should consider similar initiatives.
Commercial waste
A significant volume of waste is still sent to landfill after being collected by private waste contractors.9 Data on the volume and composition of commercial waste is lacking, which partners should work with government to rectify.
The Environment Act (2021) introduced the requirement for recyclable waste from businesses to be collected separately unless it is not technically or economically viable or would have no environmental benefit. WCAs that currently offer commercial waste services should engage with their clients and review their operations to boost recycling. Additionally, more WCAs in Devon could offer high-performing commercial waste services.9
Business Improvement Districts (BIDS) in Bath, Bristol, Leeds and Aberdeen have established collaborative commercial waste contracts that have increased recycling, reduced waste and vehicle movements, and minimised costs for businesses through economies of scale. BIDs in Devon (currently Exeter, Plymouth, Tavistock and Torquay) and Chambers of Commerce could replicate this approach.9
Changing the priority from weight to GHGs
The national target for recycling is based on weight. This leads to decisions to prioritise the heaviest wastes, which may not be the most carbon intensive. Partners in Devon should work with government to target the recycling of materials that achieve the greatest GHG saving.10
Encouraging the use of recycled materials
Without a larger market for recycled materials, it will be challenging to increase the recycling rate. Citizens and decision makers in businesses need to choose to purchase recycled goods whenever possible to stimulate demand for, and the financial viability of, recycling.
Design for material recovery
Manufacturers need to design products that support a circular economy by enabling the easy disassembly of components and separation of materials for recycling.
Government intends to introduce Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes to make producers of goods responsible for the cost of managing the waste arising at the end of the products’ life. This will drive a shift towards the production of products that last longer, which can be re-used and repaired more easily, and can be recycled.11
The Actions
R6. Align Devon’s household waste collection services as far as viable.
R7. Consider reducing the frequency or volume of black bin collections.
R8. Commercial waste services to collect a wider variety of separated materials for recycling.
R9. Waste Collection Authorities that do not collect commercial waste to consider offering a high-quality service.
R10. Business Improvement Districts and Chambers of Commerce to consider offering commercial waste management solutions for local businesses.
R11. Raise awareness of the opportunity and benefits from specifying reclaimed and recycled materials.
R12. Work with government to incentivise the recycling of materials based on their carbon intensity as well as weight.
R13. Continue to engage with government on the design of the Extended Producer Responsibility schemes.
R14. Work with government to improve commercial waste data.
7.5.3 Goal EC – The Management of Biodegradable Waste Minimises Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Food waste
We all need to act on avoidable and unavoidable food waste. Thirty percent of waste in ‘black bins’ in the Devon County Council area is food waste,6 yet all WCAs in Devon except Exeter and Plymouth already collect food waste separately. Exeter City Council is in the process of rolling-out a service. Central government is expected to provide funding to develop plans for separate collection of food waste for households from 2025.12
The Courtauld Commitment 2030 is a voluntary agreement that enables collaborative action between UK food retailers, the hospitality sector, manufacturers and growers to reduce food waste.13 Food supply-chain business in Devon can sign-up and use the tools available to make a difference.
In the meantime, communities must be supported to act and follow initiative in South Molton and Chudleigh which have set up community fridges, to redistribute unwanted food from households and businesses.
Wastewater treatment
South West Water already captures biomethane from anaerobic digestion associated with its treatment processes but will be looking to enhance this and the control of nitrous oxide.14
The Actions
R1. Deliver targeted communication to empower people and businesses to adopt more sustainable consumption habits, prevent waste and shift to a culture of sharing, reusing and recycling.
R2. Support communities to establish waste and resources projects.
R15. Encourage commercial and household waste collections to consider collecting food waste separately
R16. Help find opportunities for unavoidable wastes within the food supply chain to be used as a resource by others
R17. Encourage food supply-chain businesses to implement the Courtauld Commitment using the free toolkit
R18. Enhance the capture of emissions from waste-water treatment
Case Study
Countess Wear Wastewater Treatment Works, Exeter
Countess Wear Wastewater Treatment Works consumes 8.5 GWh of electricity per year to treat 22,500 m3 of wastewater per day. Most of the electricity consumed by the site is imported via the national grid; however, 30% of the site’s power needs is supplied by renewable energy located on the site.
Sewage sludge is fed through an anaerobic digestion process producing methane which is used as fuel for four ‘combined heat and power’ (CHP) engines. The electricity generated is used to run the treatment process. The heat is used to keep the anaerobic digester warm and to meet the site’s hot water needs.
The site also has a 50 kW roof-mounted solar PV array to generate power for use by the site.
The anaerobic digestion with CHP and the solar PV array are reducing the site’s carbon emissions by 650 tCO2e per year in comparison to using electricity from the grid.
7.5.4 Goal ED – Procurement by Anchor Institutions Contributes to Net-Zero
Anchor institutions in Devon collectively manage multi-billion-pound budgets.15 Spending by these organisations needs to deliver maximum social and environmental benefit to Devon – a concept known as community wealth building.
There is significant interest in this approach in Devon. For example, Supply Devon is creating an online system to help Devon organisations find local suppliers to buy better, support the local economy and reduce carbon emissions.
There are excellent examples of innovation already but anchor institutions need to be more proactive in nurturing local, sustainable service and product supply chains.
The Actions
R19. Anchor institutions to embed local social and environmental value further into tendering procedures.
R20. Anchor institutions to support community-owned companies to provide goods and services back to those institutions.
7.5.5 Goal EE – Devon’s Economy Seizes the Net-Zero Opportunity
New industries will be needed to meet net-zero. Devon has world-class expertise in environment and green technologies to facilitate the net-zero transition.16 In addition to existing opportunities, start-ups and immature industries will need support for research and development to bring their ideas to market.
The Actions
R5. Support immature industries and new models that have the potential to contribute to delivering net-zero.
7.5.6 Goal EF – Devon has the Skills to Meet Net-Zero
The CCC identifies the availability of skills as a limiting factor to the rate of decarbonisation.17 Education providers will need to continue to enchance their curriculums so that Devon can develop the workforce and community skills it needs.
Businesses will need support to develop their workforce to keep up with the transition and to take advantage of emerging sectors and legislative changes on the horizon – such as the switch to electric vehicles and the move away from gas boilers. They will also need to change their operations and behaviours so that they become net-zero.
The Actions
R21. Provide schools with curriculum support on net-zero issues.
R22. Provide net-zero training and reskilling opportunities.
R23. Provide a net-zero-transition support service to businesses.
R24. Provide support for individuals experiencing career difficulties due to the transition to net-zero.
7.5.7 Goal EG – Devon has Access to the Finance Needed for Net-Zero
The government-owned UK Infrastructure Bank is providing investment to support businesses and local authorities to deliver low-carbon infrastructure projects exceeding £5m.18 However, businesses and organisations will need to access finance for all-scales of project.
Homeowners could benefit from so-called green mortgages that offer favourable interest rates for people who purchase energy efficient homes or commit to upgrading the energy performance of their homes. These are new products, which 72% of the Devon Climate Assembly thought should be developed further.19 They are the subject of the government’s Green Home-Finance Accelerator, which is designed to make more low-carbon and environmentally friendly products available.20
Finance for business
The Thematic Hearing on Cross Cutting Themes heard that 60% of businesses in Devon are sole traders who can struggle with access to finance. Support for the creation of regional banks is critical for supporting small businesses to develop or take up low-carbon practices.
Finance for the public sector
It is extremely unlikely that enough funding for local authority decarbonisation will come from the national government. But there is growing interest in community municipal bonds – loans that local people and businesses make to local governments and pay back interest. Swindon Borough Council21 and West Berkshire Council have used this model.22 We need to learn from their experience and consider implementing this model in Devon.
Finance for communities
Crowd-sourced funds are an opportunity for community-led initiatives. For example, community energy organisations in Devon have raised over £5.5m through securities-based crowdfunding to fund the delivery of renewable energy schemes.23 It is vital to share good practice about the use of crowd-sourced funds in Devon to help more communities do the same.
The Actions
R25. Support the development of regional banks
R26. Consider using municipal bonds to raise finance for municipal infrastructure
R27. Share community crowd-funding case studies and good practice.
7.6 Summary of the Actions
Figure 7.4 below shows the reference number and text of each Economy and Resources action in the Plan. The anticipated start and duration of each action is shown on the right hand side of the diagram.
The actions with their duration highlighted in red have been identified as priories through two processes. First, the Net Zero Task Force assessed each action’s potential to contribute to emissions reductions and the likelihood they can be implemented in a timely fashion. Second, some actions were highlighted as priorities by respondents to the public consultation.
Figure 7.4 – This diagram shows the anticipated start and duration of the Economy and Resources actions and the priority actions.
For more detail, including who can help to deliver these actions, see the full action table.
7.7 Milestones
Delivering the actions in this section of the Plan will help to achieve the milestones in Figure 7.5 which reflect the Climate Change Committee’s Further Ambition Scenario.
Figure 7.5 Milestones which the actions in the Economy and Resources section of the plan will help to achieve.
7.8 References
1 Mitchell A. et al. (2020) Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report – Devon, Plymouth, Torbay 2018. Centre for Energy and Environment, University of Exeter. Available at: https://devonclimateemergency.org.uk/studies-and-data/devons-carbon-footprint/
2 Local Government Association (2020), Over a million new green jobs could be created. Available at: https://www.local.gov.uk/lga-over-million-new-green-jobs-could-be-created-2050 [Members only]
3 Yeo, S. (2017) The sharing economy helps fight climate change, but not as much as you think. The Washington Post. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/09/18/the-sharing-economy-helps-fight-climate-change-but-not-as-much-as-you-think/
4 Recycle Devon (2020) Repair Café. Available at: https://www.recycledevon.org/reuse/repair-cafe
5 Defra (2021) Local authority collected waste generation from April 2000 to March 2021 (England and regions) and local authority data April 2020 to March 2021. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/env18-local-authority-collected-waste-annual-results-tables
6 Devon County Council and Torbay Council (2020) Resource and Waste Management Strategy for Devon and Torbay, 2020-2030. Available at: https://www.devon.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling/document/resource-and-waste-management-strategy-for-devon-and-torbay
7 Climate Change Committee (2019) Net Zero Technical Report. Net-Zero Exhibits – Waste. Available at: https://www.theccc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/08-Net-Zero-TR-Exhibits-Waste.xlsx
8 CAG Devon Community Action Groups (2020) Impact Report 2019-2020. Available at: https://cagdevon.org.uk/impact
9 Ballinger, A. et al. (2020) The Carbon Impacts of Waste Management in Devon County: Analysis and Recommendations for Devon County Council. Eunomia.
10 Environmental Services Association (2018) Why Wait? Weight isn’t working. Available at: http://www.esauk.org/application/files/3215/3589/6450/20180820_Why_Wait_Weight_isnt_working_Smarter_measures_for_the_circular_economy.pdf
11 HM Government (2018) Our Waste, Our resources: A Strategy for England. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/resources-and-waste-strategy-for-england
12 BEIS, 2021, Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/net-zero-strategy
13 WRAP (2022) The Courtauld Commitment 2030. Available at: https://wrap.org.uk/taking-action/food-drink/initiatives/courtauld-commitment
14 South West Water (2021) Our Promise to the Planet – Carbon Busting Net-Zero Plan. Available at: https://www.southwestwater.co.uk/about-us/sustainability/net-zero-plan/
15 Local Spark Torbay (Unknown) The role of ‘anchor institutions’ – Unlocking potential through local employment and procurement. Available at: https://localsparktorbay.org/anchor/
16 Heart of the South West (2019) Local Industrial Strategy Progress Statement 2. Available at: https://heartofswlep.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/190807-Heart-of-the-SW-LIS-Progress-Statement-2.pdf
17 Climate Change Committee (2019) Net Zero – The UK’s contribution to stopping global warming. Available at: https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/net-zero-the-uks-contribution-to-stopping-global-warming/
18 UK Infrastructure Bank (2021) HomePage. Available at: https://www.ukib.org.uk/
19 Scott, K. and Ward, D. (2021) Devon Climate Assembly – “How should Devon meet the big challenges of climate change?”. Available at: https://www.devonclimateemergency.org.uk/devon-climate-assembly/devon-climate-assembly-report/
20 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (2022) Information about the Green Home Finance Accelerator. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/green-home-finance-accelerator/information-about-the-green-home-finance-accelerator
21 Davis, M. and Cartwright, L. (2019) Financing for Society: Assessing the Suitability of Crowdfunding for the Public Sector, The University of Leeds. Available at: https://baumaninstitute.leeds.ac.uk/research/financing-for-society/
22 Abundance Investment (2020) Helping West Berkshire Build Back Better. Available at: https://www.abundanceinvestment.com/west-berkshire
23 Regen (2018) Devon Community Energy Impact Report. Available at: https://www.regen.co.uk/publications/devon-community-energy-impact-report-2018/
