Launch of strategic report "Material Security: an approaching crisis?"
Thursday, 01 May 2008 20:16
On the 29th April 2008 the Resource Efficiency Knowledge Transfer Network (Re-KTN), in partnership with the Associate Parliament Sustainable Resource Group, held a networking event at the House of Commons which was entitled "Materials Security: An Approaching Crisis?"
The event was attended by over 100 delegates from a variety of different fields, which included the waste management, academic, manufacturing and materials mining sectors.
This event was held to launch a new RE-KTN Material Security Strategic Report promoted as being “something that even children could understand”, which clearly spelt out not only the size of the challenge facing us in securing essential materials within the UK, but also the opportunity for UK companies to take a world wide lead to advert a material supply crisis.
The event was chaired by Barry Sheerman MP, with presentations given by representatives of the RE-KTN, The Technology Strategy Board and the CBI.
The report firstly introduces the issue of material security which has been fuelled by a period of continuous world economic growth. It attempts to define the concepts of material security and to put this into an historical context, analysing the risks of restriction to supply that could occur due to catastrophic events, geological concerns or monopolistic practices.
The economics of resource depletions are discussed, with both short and long term considerations taken into account. It explores (and in parts contradicts) some common assumptions: -
- That recycling of metals will depress the rate at which virgin resources are required
- Reserve bases of metals are very large
- Rising prices will depress demand as metals get scarcer
- Environmental and social constrains will not limit supply
- Policy makers need to maximise recycling and recovery rates with metals that show greatest environmental benefits.
- Businesses should design products to discourage dispersal to the environment and easier recovery.
- Innovation Funders should consider technologies to enable ‘mining’ of waste streams for insecure metals as being especially worthy of consideration.
The report proposed a set of generic strategies on resource efficiency for managing material flows. It outlines how the use of substitutes is likely to be a longer-term solution, as finding replacements can sometimes take years, and that minimising the use of insecure materials, by becoming thriftier, is the short-term approach. It continues to explore ideas around close loop recycling approaches, whereby rare materials are extracted and recycled from waste products, which removes the need to buy virgin materials from their original locations as well as minimising the dispersal of these residuals into the environment without recovery.
The report, however, does outline an environmental paradox, explaining how a surprising large number of environmentally-friendly technologies now rely on materials for which demand was previously low, and that these materials are actually rare or concentrated in regions subject to political or environmental instability.
From a recycling perspective the report provides the following recommendations: -
It is the opinion of DARP that, while this report is exceptionally well written and researched, its production clearly outlines the UK lack of understanding of this issue. The fact that we needed to produce such a report, so late in the day, is concerning.
A number of counties have gone a lot further than just producing a strategic report. The Japanese and Chinese have already implemented national strategies with a view of making more efficient use of materials with their economies.
An interesting point to this strategic report is that while the launch was entitled “Materials Security: An approaching crisis?” the title of the final published version was softened to “Material Security: Ensuring resource availability for the UK economy”. No mention of a crisis!
Whatever its title, this report is a step in the right direction and DARP would encourage everyone to get hold of a copy and read it. Think about the issues, and take direct actions. Lobby MP’s, trade association and government to ensure that this report it acted upon immediately, rather than simply allow it to be yet another ‘waste of resources’ which gathers dust in some cabinet office draw.
An electronic copy of the report by email is available free of charge from the Resources Efficiency Knowledge Transfer Network. Simply email your name, job title, company name and address to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
For more information on the work of DARP Environmental Ltd, and the WEEE Recycling Network, please get in touch.