Wales's circular economy success: A model for global sustainability
The Circularity Foundation has recently published their analysis of some of the success factors that contributed to Wales's circularity success story. Mal Williams, the Executive Director of The Zero Waste International Trust and former Chief Executive of Cylch – the Wales Community Recycling Network - offers his perspective.
Over the past two decades, Wales has emerged as a leader in the transition from a wasteful society to one that prioritises recycling, re-use, and sustainability. This success did not happen by chance; it was a result of visionary government action, community involvement, and long-term planning. Through its ambitious policies and collaborative approach, Wales has become a global exemplar of circular citizenship — a model that other nations can adapt to their circumstances as the urgency of addressing climate change and resource depletion grows.
Since the Welsh Government's inception in 1999, Wales has gone from recycling just 3 per cent of its material resources to an impressive 66 per cent. Simultaneously, residual waste per person has fallen significantly. These milestones were achieved through a carefully planned and resourced strategy, driven by evidence-based decision-making and transparent governance.
Government Vision and Community Action
Wales's journey toward zero waste began in the late 1970s, rooted in grassroots efforts such as the Community Support Anti-Waste Scheme in Cardiff and Wastesavers in Newport. These community-led initiatives embraced the idea that waste is a valuable resource, demonstrating early on the environmental, social, and economic benefits of sustainable material use. These efforts laid the foundation for systemic changes that would follow the devolution of powers to Wales in 1999.
The Welsh Government played a pivotal role in this transformation, exemplified by their application of community-led initiatives like Cleanstream® A Total Resource Recovery System for Wales, published by Cylch in 2000. By integrating global zero-waste principles – such as emphasising the preservation of recyclate quality instead of mere 'landfill diversion' - into national policy, Wales created a comprehensive framework that connected community recycling initiatives with larger governmental objectives.
Key measures included:
1. Considerable investment in changing collection and processing infrastructure primarily for Unitary Local Authorities 20 out of 22 of which are the collection contractors, unlike in other nations of the UK.
2. The building of processing facilities, including 5 Anaerobic Digesters for separately collected food wastes.
3. Supporting community recycling and re-use projects
4. The introduction of food waste collections in 2006/07 across the whole of Wales (96 per cent of households had the kit within 18 months) was a major step forward and is the main reason Wales took a 10 per cent leap forward in those few years.
5. The inauguration of the Collaborative Change Programme following the publication of the second iteration of the Wales's Waste Strategy "Towards Zero Waste" in 2010 put expertise and sufficient resource - via WRAP - into persuading reluctant or cash-strapped Local Authorities to change to the Wales Collections Blueprint - Cylch's Cleanstream® by another name.
The Collaborative Change Programme's success in persuasion was eased by the fact that "Towards Zero Waste" set statutory recycling targets to be achieved year on year with £200 per tonne penalties for non-achievement. It was interesting to note how quickly reluctant Local Authorities were converted to recycling once their targets were achieved. Pembrokeshire - famously – moved from 63 per cent to 72 per cent recycling in its first year of changeover. See celebration here.
The Well-being of Future Generations
Another major milestone in Wales's sustainability journey came with the passing of the Well-being of Future Generations Act (2015). This landmark legislation required public bodies in Wales to adopt long-term, forward-thinking approaches to resource use, moving away from short-term political decision-making. It ensured that sustainability became embedded in public policy, aligning the actions of the government, businesses, and communities toward a common goal: safeguarding the environment for future generations.
Circular Economy and Zero Waste: Interchangeable Goals
Wales's model shows that achieving a circular economy and pursuing a zero-waste future are interchangeable objectives. A true zero-waste policy aligns perfectly with the principles of the circular economy, where resources are kept in use for as long as possible, and waste is minimised. Importantly, zero waste is a goal that everyone — individuals, businesses, and governments — can start working towards immediately. As Wales has demonstrated, it is possible to make significant progress by engaging all levels of society in this collective effort.
A Model for Global Replication
This success in Wales offers a roadmap for nations worldwide, especially as the need for action on climate change becomes more pressing. The Welsh model demonstrates that systemic change is possible when government policies are backed by community involvement and transparent, evidence-based decision-making. Crucially, this approach shows that addressing urgent global issues like climate change and resource depletion requires collaboration among all sectors of society.
A Call to Action
Wales's success in becoming a circular citizenship leader is a call to action for communities and nations across the globe. Achieving global sustainability will require collaborative approaches that involve governments, businesses, and citizens working in unison. By adopting and adapting the Welsh model, countries can accelerate their efforts toward building a circular economy, ensuring a fairer, more sustainable future for all.
Now is the time to act. By learning from Wales, we can embrace the power of collective effort in solving our most urgent global challenges.
