The Environment Agency has suspended a service tasked with advising businesses on creating new products out of their waste amid rumours of staff losses following budget cuts.
The Definition of Waste Panel provides advice to businesses on the EU End of Waste Regulations, which requires firms to submit evidence to the agency for some materials, such as glass, steel and copper, that do not need to be treated as waste.
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However, last week the agency posted an update on its website saying the panel is currently closed, with a review of the closure set to take place in November.
According to the environmentalist, the agency was forced to suspend the service as staff losses following budget cuts left the team with only one or two agency experts to help businesses with the process. The panel has typically operated with up to eight members in the past.
The waste industry expressed concern at the move, with fears it could damage efforts to promote circular economy business models and make trading in waste and recyclable materials more difficult.
A spokeswoman for the Environment Agency said the panel would be closed for three months and encouraged affected businesses to instead read advice posted on its website and use the online IsItWaste self-assessment tool.
"The Definition of Waste Panel is closed to all new end of waste and by-product submissions for three months," she said in a statement. "This closure provides an opportunity to review the service and look at how to best meet the needs of our customers in the future."
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