For many years we have measured the performance of waste management systems and services through weight-based targets and metrics (%recycled or % diverted from landfill etc.). Still, more recently, there have been attempts to help facilitate better decision-making (by governments and municipalities) that aligns with the waste management hierarchy by creating a range of carbon tools and associated metrics that look to drive down ‘emissions’ from the lifecycle of a product/packaging stream in line with the global decarbonisation agenda.
But how effective have these carbon tools and targets been in changing service design and performance? And is carbon reduction the right metric as we look to drive more circular economies and improve overall resource efficiency? How can we set targets for waste prevention/reduction, and should future targets focus on consumption(and waste production) intensity, measured on a per person / per £GNP perhaps? These questions and others form the basis for this hour-long dive into resource & waste metrics as we look to identify the metrics, targets and tools that will drive us forward towards net zero and positive natural capital.