News/Blog
May13Blue & yellow – does it make green?
SWR’s Giles Whiteley poses the question: will a change of government be good for the waste industry?
With the first coalition government since 1945 the political landscape of the United Kingdom is shifting. Although the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats may have appeared to be at near opposites of the political spectrum, there are many areas on which there is most definitely a cross-party consensus.
It is evident from both manifestos that flexing their green credentials was a selling point during the election campaign and a showing of the parties’ moral fibre. In the area of environmental legislation, the two parties are often in agreement. Both parties are against the third runway at Heathrow and want to make the development of the high-speed rail networks a priority. The Lib Dems and the Tories also included plans for a national charging network in their manifestos in order to make electric cars a common place sight. Not only this, but the two parties have leant their support to the formation of a green investment bank, as well as proposing a number of grants and schemes in order to encourage people to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
With the parties agreed on the need to act fast on the budget deficit, it is not entirely inconceivable that the need of the new administration to establish a moral authority could see a dramatic increase in the taxation of those industries which are seen as large polluters and tighter environmental restrictions placed upon everyday businesses. An indication of this is the coalition agreement on replacing air passenger duty with per flight duty, which means a broad increase of tax on air travel across the board.
It would be prudent for businesses to brace themselves for continuing fiscal pressures to ‘green-up’.
With many businesses still viewing green policies as a ‘nice-to-have’ or a luxury for the largest organisations, SWR would support any move that provides a realistic and positive incentive to do what should be standard practice. After all if a tax does not apply to an organisation it need not be a concern.
A good waste plan for a business that maximises disposal to green and sustainable routes can significantly impact a company’s carbon footprint and use of natural resources. As SWR’s customers will attest, the benefits of a sound waste strategy extend much further than minimising taxation; lower costs, buy-in from customers and staff and good corporate social responsibility credentials to name three.
For further information on how to efficiently plan and manage your waste strategy contact SWR Waste Management on 0800 432 0550.
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