CIWM and ESA Announce Closer Partnership Working and a New ‘Voice’ for the Waste and Resource Management Industry

The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) and the Environmental Services Association (ESA) today announced a raft of initiatives that will see the two organisations working more closely in partnership. Alongside moves to align and strengthen the policy and technical activities of the two bodies, the headline message at the event today is the creation of a powerful new ‘voice’ for the waste and resource management industry. 

Resources & Waste UK is an independent entity created by ESA and CIWM that will provide a vehicle for the two bodies to deliver strong, consistent messages about the industry’s capabilities and needs to government, regulators, the media and other key stakeholders in the UK. 

David Beadle, CIWM’s immediate Past President who has been heavily involved in drawing up the agreement, outlined how the closer partnership will work. 

“We have agreed that our respective technical groups will work together so we can create a greater 'gene pool' of ideas and evidence... Drawing on this more robust body of evidence, we want and need to show that we have a strong industry opinion and voice.”

By communicating joint strategic messages that are common to the two organisations, he said that the new organisation will work to “secure the future success and growth of our industry and its contribution to the development of a more circular economy.”

Talking on behalf of the ESA, its chairman David Palmer-Jones said this move shows an industry maturing and rallying behind a common goal of creating “a more resource efficient and secure UK.”

“Our industry has long called out for a champion to stand up for our industry to cut across the political and legislative complexity that we grapple with,” he said, “...we have decided to creator own champion, our own voice that can speak with the combined weight, knowledge and professionalism of the ESA and CIWM membership. 

“The voice of Resources & Waste UK will be powerful and will be heard. We have the responsibility to develop our industry to its full potential, delivering considerable economic benefits in the form of significant investment, infrastructure, and new sector jobs.”

The partnership working agreement will also see ESA members across the UK being given the opportunity to be part of the CIWM's regional centres and a dedicated ESA section in CIWM's monthly journal.