明星八卦

Multidimensional Value Metrics for Assessing England's Plastic Packaging System and Monitoring Associated Targets

The project was carried out in collaboration with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and aimed to improve the management of plastic packaging waste. It mapped out and examined the plastic packaging system in England, and identified ‘intelligent’ new metrics that can be used for monitoring and assessing progress against Government targets. The project employed the Complex Value Optimisation for Resource Recovery (CVORR) approach in supporting the selection of metrics that are easy to understand by policy-makers and easy for citizens to see why they matter in a policy context. CVORR is a systems of systems approach and a methodology for monitoring progress within a network of interconnected systems. The project's report titled "" has been published on the DEFRA website in order to disseminate the findings broadly to UK local authorities. 

The research report helped policy makers gain a better understanding of the plastic packaging system and how it operates including where inefficiencies arise in the system. It brought into the spotlight the concept of ‘producer responsibility’ for plastic waste, which has given DEFRA tangible evidence that the private sector is capturing value within the plastic packaging waste system at the expense of local authorities. This supports arguments and strategies that the producers should pay more than they currently do (e.g. via a taxation on production). The metrics recommended in the report are under consideration by Defra which is working on incorporating some of these into their new strategy with regard to recycling plastic packaging. The project has further helped DEFRA develop its strategy on environmental impact, specifically on litter and fly-tipping, and are using the report as evidence when reporting on their responsibilities to regulatory authorities.