It’s by far the most talked about subject in the country and with only a couple of weeks to go until voting day, debate surrounding the EU referendum is far from over.
As an organisation, we’ve been quite vocal about the prospect of Brexit, with managing director Marcus Brew having already appeared on the BBC Breakfast Show and set to take to the stage at the CIWM’s Resourcing the Future Conference mid-June. Chairman Chris Oldfield has also shared his thoughts about the UK leaving the EU, in a comment piece for industry magazine MRW.
The concerns expressed to date have been multi-layered. In a time of vast uncertainty, UNTHA UK’s senior figures are generally worried about the impact Brexit could have on UK GDP, jobs, overseas trade and relations with wider Europe.
But, given UNTHA is an active player in the waste and recycling sector, there are also fears surrounding whether the UK’s environmental agenda could maintain its robustness without EU influence.
The topic was therefore the focus of UNTHA UK’s online poll for May. Last month, the poll asked: If the UK exits Europe, do you think the Landfill Directive will continue?
The results make for interesting reading – 54% of participants said yes, they do think the Landfill Directive will go on, whilst only 19% are worried it will cease. Unsurprisingly, given all the ambiguity that exists at present, 27% of respondents said they were unsure what the outcome will be.
Commenting on the findings, chairman Chris Oldfield said: “I am quite shocked by the results given industry discussions I’ve heard on the matter. I personally think progress surrounding the Landfill Directive has been driven by European government rather than our own, so I do worry that if the nation opts for Brexit, we may ‘lose our way’ a little.
“I’ve already read that Defra doesn’t have a plan in place if we do leave. This is quite perturbing because, whilst the pace of an actual exit may be slow, policy setting can be equally as sluggish. Can we afford to lack this direction? In business, we learn to plan for every eventuality, so I would hope there’s little truth in the ‘allegation’.
“Regarding the likely eventuality for the Landfill Directive, perhaps the wider public has a little more confidence in the government’s commitment to resource security, than I do. The Landfill Directive has instigated great change and been a source of revenue from those that neglect to smarten up their environmental act. The government would be foolish to shelve the initiative, and perhaps they know it. I certainly hope that the 54% of respondents are right.”