The role and success of UK waste minimisation clubs in the correction of market and information failures

The UK waste strategy is based upon a concept of a hierarchy of preferable options for handling and disposal of waste. Minimisation is at the top of this hierarchy and several policy strategies have been introduced to encourage the uptake of waste minimisation methodology by industry. Waste minimisation clubs are a key component of the UK waste strategy and an essential vehicle for encouraging industry and commerce to undertake waste minimisation methodology. There have been 75 such clubs and they receive support from a wide range of sources, including the Environmental Technology Best Practice Programme and Environment Agency. The majority of clubs have facilitated a significant reduction in solid, liquid and gaseous waste arisings alongside financial savings achieved through increased efficiency. Academic literature claims that waste minimisation clubs are highly successful, but this has never been quantified. To address this, the study identifies economic reasons leading to excess waste production, namely market and information failure and then evaluates the role of waste minimisation clubs in overcoming these failures. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.