Exploring the future of waste and recycling at the APSE Simpler Recycling and Beyond: Waste, Recycling and Circular Economy Seminar

 

On Thursday 18 June, APSE welcomed local government colleagues from across the recycling, waste and circular economy sector to Sheffield Town Hall for our Recycling, Waste and Circular Economy Seminar 2026.  

The event provided a valuable opportunity for delegates to explore the future of waste management, covering a wide range of topics from recycling electricals and food waste interventions to Simpler Recycling legislation and local government reorganisation. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a warm welcome to Sheffield from Cllr Mark Rusling, Chair of the Environmental Services and Regulation Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council, the keynote presentation was from Dr Henry Irving, Senior Lecturer in Public History at Leeds Beckett University, who explored Sheffield’s rich history as the UK’s first ‘Recycling City’.

Henry shared the origins of Sheffield’s title as a recycling city, dating back to 1989, and highlighted the lessons local authorities can learn from their pioneering approach to recycling. The importance of working in collaboration with the community and stakeholders, and communications campaigns, were key and issues that remain to this day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Policy updates and regulatory change 

The first session of the seminar focused on recycling policy updates, with DEFRA and PackUK sharing insights into Simpler Recycling and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).  

Chris Mills, Local Authority Business Change Lead at Defra, outlined the timeline of the Simpler Recycling rollout, the legal requirements on local authorities and the support available to local councils throughout implementation, including the ‘Change Network’ which APSE has supported with promoting to local authorities. 

Jane Martin, Head of Communications and Engagement at PackUK, outlined what Extended Producer Responsibility means for local councils, examined the rating system used for packaging, LA payments and use of EPR funds, and highlighted the opportunities presented by pEPR funding for local authorities with some case studies including MRF upgrades and improvements to collection vehicles. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sector challenges and emerging innovations 

Following a comprehensive overview of the policy landscape, delegates explored the key issues, trends and innovations shaping the future of the sector. 

Chris Jones OBE, former Chair of WISH Forum (Waste Industry Safety and Health Forum), Director of Management and Compliance at Cory Group, provided an update on the Health and Safety challenges facing local authorities, including the operational implications of increased collections and vehicle movements resulting from Simpler Recycling.

Niamh McBride, Environmental Partnerships Lead at Material Focus, shared insights into the successful delivery of the ‘Stop Battery Fires’ campaign. The campaign drew on consumer behaviour attitudes and industry briefing papers, shared investment schemes such as the Circular Electricals Fund and Community Recycling Fund and inspired the public through engaging communications, news coverage and social media campaigns. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jenny Robinson, Recycling Partner at Zero Waste Scotland, presented the findings of a Zero Waste Scotland-funded intervention delivered with South Ayrshire Council and compared the results with similar projects elsewhere. Measures included targeted communications, free food waste caddy liners and residual bin stickers, all of which helped to support food waste reduction, with the residual bin stickers being one of the most effective interventions. 

Alain-Charles Lauriano de Rego, UK Country Lead at Vizzia, APSE Approved Partner, demonstrated how artificial intelligence can help local authorities tackle rising levels of fly-tipping through enhanced monitoring and incident management. 

 

 

Interactive workshops 

In the third session of the seminar, delegates had the opportunity to participate in a series of interactive workshops. Ruth Hunter and Sally Wilson, Local Authority Technical Consultants at WRAP delivered a behaviour change workshop, exploring the barriers to recycling participation, the power of messaging and the importance of tailored communication strategies. 

ASPE Associates Craig Denmark and Paddy Knowles’ workshop explored the impact of LGR on waste operations, including staffing structures, collection methodologies and vehicles. The workshop also covered Derby’s successful rollout of food waste collections and looked at the scale of the service, the challenges of major mobilisation and the use of technology to transform the service.

 

 

 Local authority best practice 

Session four showcased best practice case studies from local authorities across the UK, including Cumberland Council, Kirklees Council and Stratford-on-Avon District Council.  
Neil Dixon, Assistant Director for Waste and Open Spaces at Cumberland Council, shared the council’s waste service transformation journey, highlighting the cultural, operational and digital changes that have helped reshape the service and improve outcomes for residents. The case study provided a valuable insight into the journey of an authority that has undergone Local Government Reorganisation, having been formed from the former districts of Carlisle, Copeland and Allerdale, and Cumbria County Council.  

Stacy Townend and Phillipa Hather, Recycling Officers at Kirklees Council, outlined the council’s community engagement and outreach activities, including the Recycling Champions scheme. The initiative gives residents the opportunity to volunteer and promote recycling and reducing waste reduction within their communities. The programme included community groups, site visits to MRFs, school engagement and the Recycling Champion awards, all of which supported their goal to increase recycling rates and reduce waste.  

Julie Lewis, Head of Environmental and Neighbourhood Services at Stratford-on-Avon District Council, shared how the council became the leading recycling authority in England through their 123+ collection model. Central to this success was a comprehensive communications programme designed to inform, engage and encourage residents to recycle, a three-weekly residual waste collection service, alongside a long-standing partnership with Sherbourne Recycling. These efforts helped Stratford-on-Avon achieve a recycling rate of 63.9%, placing the council at the top Defra’s latest local authority table for England.  
 

Looking to the future 

The seminar concluded with a forward-looking exploration of the future of waste and recycling, focusing on digital transformation and circular economy innovation. 

Fiona Dear, Co-founder of Restart Project, highlighted the environmental, economic and social benefits of repair and reuse, including reduced carbon emissions, lower costs for consumers and the creation of skilled jobs. Drawing on her experience, Fiona showcased a range of initiatives designed to extend product lifecycles and reduce waste, including community repair events, Fixing Factories and repair voucher schemes. 
 
Mark Mohun, Lead Business Analyst at Newcastle City Council, illustrated how they had harnessed data and technology to improve collections through the SmartSuite Web software, from Integrated Skills. The software includes a live map and captures vital service information, monitors route progress and generates daily location-based reports.  

APSE Comment 

The seminar highlighted both the scale of the challenges facing the sector and the opportunities available through innovation, collaboration and digesting the policy changes. From behavioural change and community engagement to health and safety, digital transformation and circular economy initiatives, delegates left Sheffield with practical insights and new ideas to help shape the future of waste and recycling services in their own authorities. 

APSE members can continue the conversation by joining our Waste, Recycling and Street Cleansing networks (online webinars and occasional free in-person events in the regions) throughout the year, asking Network Queries and getting in touch with our Principal Policy Leads with any questions they may have. APSE Solutions offers consultancy and interim management services, APSE Training for upcoming training courses and Performance Networks for benchmarking services for Waste and Streetscene, including the LAMS Street Cleansing apps.