CIWM

Celebrate 125 years of waste management successes! Join us as we commemorate the incredible 125-year legacy of The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management. Our special anniversary video takes you through the moments that defined the industry, the people who inspired us, and the milestones that made us who we are today. The waste and resources sector has always existed to provide people with a better cleaner life. While the technologies and methods we use have changed, our goal has not. The industry’s roots date back hundreds of years to the Industrial Revolution. New machinery sped up manufacturing and cities expanded rapidly, but this had an unforeseen consequence: a colossal increase in waste. Despite an uphill battle against opposition to public health legislation and proper waste management, the reformers won and the modern-day waste industry was born. In 1898, the inaugural meeting of CIWM took place in a Manchester pub and paved the way for the next 125 years of waste management. CIWM was born out of necessity 125 years ago but has evolved into the cutting-edge sector we know today. You’re the innovators, problem-solvers, and boundary-pushers who will keep pioneering for years to come. Here’s to the next 125 years! #125YearsStrong #Sustainability #CircularEconomy #NetZero

To celebrate #TrusteesWeek, we asked our trustee board members what their role means to them. CIWM President Tim Walker told us: “I love waste. I’ve worked in the sector for several decades and really enjoy the sense that what I’m doing is delivering a tangible benefit to mitigate environmental decline. “Unlike many of the other environmental services, with waste, you can see what’s being achieved and with the acceleration of the circular economy, resources and waste are only likely to move more to the centre stage. “Throughout my career, I’ve been part of CIWM and have greatly enjoyed the sense of common purpose and family that it engenders – and being a trustee has permitted me the opportunity to contribute to the development of both it and the sector.” CIWM Vice President Dr David Greenfield said: “Being a trustee of CIWM is a huge privilege as it allows me to represent the voice of our members and position the Institution for the future challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in managing resources and moving towards a circular economy.” Dr Adam Read MBE said: “It is an honour allowing me to give back to an institution that has been part of my professional and sector development for 30 years. “It is a privilege to be trusted to be that oversight/vision, and it is a responsibility I take seriously as the future of the institution is very important to me and the sector.” Trustees are the backbone of any charity, and at CIWM, our trustees bring diverse perspectives, unwavering commitment, and invaluable insights. Through our trustee's hard work, we can overcome any challenge while remaining true to our vision of moving the world beyond waste. Thank you to our trustees for all their tireless efforts and for championing the values that guide our work. These answers demonstrate our trustees’ dedication and passion for moving the world beyond waste. Join us in celebrating our trustees in the comments below. There will be opportunities to join the CIWM Trustee Board in the future, so keep an eye out for information.

This week, our CEO, Sarah Poulter, and President, Tim Walker, are attending Ecomondo, a key event for green technology and circular economy. Ecomondo brings together thought leaders, innovators, and stakeholders to discuss solutions for a sustainable future. Sarah and Tim will be exploring the latest advancements in waste management, resource efficiency, and circular economy - key areas that align with CIWM's purpose to move the world beyond waste. If you're attending, please say hello!

👏 Celebrating Trustee Week! 👏 During #TrusteeWeek, we want to highlight the incredible work trustees do. CIWM’s CEO Sarah Poulter and our Director of Innovation and Technical Services Lee Marshall are both trustees of different charities. Sarah is a trustee of The Veolia Environmental Trust and Lee is a trustee of OPRL. Thank you to all trustees for all their tireless efforts and for championing the values that guide the work of their organisations. Trustees are the backbone of any charity, and at CIWM, our trustees bring diverse perspectives, unwavering commitment, and invaluable insights. Through our trustee's hard work, alongside our dedicated membership of 7,500+ professionals, we can overcome any challenge while remaining true to our vision of moving the world beyond waste. 🌍 Join us in celebrating our trustees: CIWM President Tim Walker Vice President Dr David Greenfield Junior Vice President Vicki Hughes FCIWM, DipM FCIM Wayne Hubbard FCIWM Trevor Nicoll Liz Parkes MBE Anna Willetts Dr Adam Read MBE Marcus Gover Duncan Simpson Honorary Treasurer John Kutner Dan Cooke, our Director of Policy, Communications and External Affairs, said: “Supporting charities and community organisations as a trustee can be a rich and rewarding experience. “It helps make (often lifelong) friends and contacts, sharpen strategic skills and focus on good governance, as well as making a real contribution to the purpose and outcomes of some fantastic groups.” Dan was recently a trustee for the Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Viridor Credits Environmental, and said he is on the lookout for his next opportunity! There will be opportunities to join the CIWM Trustee Board in the future, so keep an eye out for more information.

CIWM RESPONDS | 2025 UK Government Budget From a CIWM perspective, the strong focus on measures incentivising net zero, clean energy and green infrastructure was expected and welcome. Confirmation of significant support for carbon capture and storage projects should enable important CCS projects involving energy from waste plants to progress. Confirmation of the Government’s commitment to the implementation of key measures from the Collections and Packaging Reforms programme, including EPR, to move towards a zero-waste economy was also to be welcomed. These will provide an essential platform for progress towards greater UK resource efficiency and will provide greater clarity for many CIWM members and the wider sector. Specific measures including clarifications on Plastics Packaging Tax mechanisms (enabling a mass-balance approach to incorporate chemical recycling and the exclusion of pre-consumer plastic from recycled content), and adjustments to Landfill Tax rates from April 1 2025 as a further mechanism to incentivise more sustainable waste management are also helpful. The real term expenditure limits for DEFRA are concerning, at a time when resourcing for the Environment Agency to enable effective regulation and enforcement across our sector is more crucial than ever.

What’s your biggest fear? 😱 Clowns? 🤡 Spiders? 🕷 Ghosts? 👻 After reading these terrifying Halloween waste statistics maybe you will have a new fear: littered sweet wrappers and rotting pumpkins. 🎃 Hubbub is shining a spotlight on the most wasteful Halloween traditions and how you can celebrate more sustainability. ♻ So, before you set off trick-or-treating tonight, let us know how you’re reducing waste this Halloween in the comments below. 🍭 Sources: Hubbub Sew Spooky Campaign: https://lnkd.in/ehV76Xpa Hubbub Eat Your Pumpkin Campaign: https://lnkd.in/eq7easyA

CIWM RESPONDS | Disposable vapes ban CIWM applauds the Minster for Nature, the UK Government and the Devolved Administrations, and welcomes the timely and entirely sensible commitment to ban disposable vapes as soon as practicable. Disposable vapes are a clear example of a poorly designed product manufactured and sold with only short-term profit in mind, marketed at children and adults alike, and with little evident social or environmental responsibility shown by producers, retailers or importers. They strengthen the case for Extended Producer Responsibility to ensure the true cost of putting huge volumes of such products on the market is placed clearly on those that do so, not (as currently) on those who have to pay for and clean up the mess created afterwards. These non-recyclable single-use products are simply wasteful and harmful to people and planet. They create litter, degrading our streets and local environments and costing local authorities millions of pounds to clean up, they cause fires in waste streams putting industry workers’ health and safety at risk, and they waste valuable and critical raw materials such as lithium and copper due to their very poor design. As a society we must quickly learn the lessons of such poor product design and short-term thinking, as we move towards a more circular economy and a world beyond waste.

The waste and resources sector has always existed to provide people with a better cleaner life. While the technologies and methods we use have changed, our goal has not. The industry’s roots date back hundreds of years to the Industrial Revolution. New machinery sped up manufacturing and cities expanded rapidly, but this had an unforeseen consequence: a colossal increase in waste. Despite an uphill battle against opposition to public health legislation and proper waste management, the reformers won and the modern-day waste industry was born. CIWM was born out of necessity 125 years ago but has evolved into the cutting-edge sector we know today. Become a part of the innovators, problem-solvers, and boundary-pushers in the sector. Join CIWM today: https://lnkd.in/ee7ANdFy #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #NetZero

Is 🔋 Battery-as-a-Service🔋 the key to a circular economy for electric vehicles? 🚗 Battery-as-a-Service is a business model that means motorists don’t own an electric vehicle battery and, instead, use one as a service. 💡 If a company retains ownership of the batteries, users do not need to pay to own one – although they may pay for a subscription/leasing service. 🛒 This could reduce the cost of an EV by a third, helping to drive the global transition away from fossil fuel-driven vehicles and meet phase-out targets. 🌍 In this feature, Circular’s Bethany Greenman explains why Battery-as-a-Service business models must be facilitated if the electric vehicle transition is to embrace circular economy principles. ⬇ https://lnkd.in/dPV_iMMj

CIWM was proud to sponsor the Waste Management Champion of the Year at the Awards for Excellence in Waste Management for the NHS in England! The Gold Winner was Jason Mitchell for his “exceptional dedication” to enhancing management outcomes across all waste streams. CIWM’s Senior Director of Policy and Education Katie Cockburn presented Jason with the prize during the awards ceremony at the BCEC Conference Centre in Birmingham on the 2nd October 2024. The Waste Champion of the Year award celebrates an individual who has demonstrated exemplary leadership and dedication in promoting and implementing effective waste management practices. The judges recognised Jason for actively seeking opportunities to shift the focus from disposal to resource recovery over his nine years at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Kirsten Bain was the Silver Winner and Michael Morgan took home the Bronze. Congratulations to everyone recognised at the Awards for Excellence in Waste Management for the NHS in England!