Resource efficiency could save UK £6.4 billion a year at no cost

clipped from www.energyefficiencynews.com Extending the life of products, recycling and ensuring efficiency in energy and raw material use could save the UK £6.4 billion a year at no cost to the economy, according to a report released by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). The report, which was put together by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), says the resource efficiency could save 254 million tonnes by 2020 – meeting a tenth of the UK’s short-term emission reduction target. WRAP advocates measures such as using less material to produce goods or switching to different, more sustainable materials – known as ‘lightweighting’ or lean production. Using existing products or infrastructure rather than constructing something new also provides a saving. Consumers could reduce their emissions by 8% by 2050 and save up to £47.3 billion simply using products like clothes or electronics until they wear out.