West Midlands’ Circular Economy Routemap

The West Midlands remains an agricultural hub yet currently imports 45-55% of its food.

Agricultural processes create land, water and air pollution which has negative impact on biodiversity and communities’ health and wellbeing.

Unsustainable farming practices degrade soil health, which in turn negatively impacts farmers’ yield and income.

Maintain soil health.

Positive contribution to biodiversity increase and increase in natural capital.

Reduce food miles and CO2 associated with farming.

Increase farmers’ income and resilience to climate change’s adverse impacts.

Potential creation of new revenue streams for farmers.

Healthier diets and reduction of the cost of food with community-based/local food growing schemes.

Number of accredited regenerative farms.

Number of local food growing schemes (urban agriculture, community- based agriculture, allotments etc.).

New regulations around extended producer responsibility for packaging being introduced.

The region already benefits from several R&D stream on improving agro-business processes and making them more sustainable.

New processes and infrastructures are required to support decarbonisation of large agro-businesses.

Development of new processes and technologies that can be exported across the UK and globally.

Reduction in plastic pollution, especially plastic used in packaging.

CO2 savings and cost savings.

Reduce the impact of agro-business processes on the environment.

Using food waste for energy (including biofuels). For example, opportunity to capture heat from distillery.

Engagement with entire supply chain can enable innovation, efficiencies and new partnerships.

Number of new technologies patented.

Amount of resources upcycled by agro- businesses.

Amount of plastic

Clusters and hubs around food are already being planned as part of Repowering the Black Country and the Social Economy Business Plan.

Opportunities for urban horticulture and agriculture identified in the Black Country.

Food waste is the major waste stream identified in the routemap from households going to landfill.

Food waste reduction.

Contribution to localism.

Health and wellbeing improvements.

Creation of social value.

Reduction in amount of food waste and CO2 emissions associated with it.

Supporting existing community and volunteer groups working in the food sector.

Increase food security, food justice and food sovereignty

Reduction in food waste going to landfill.

Amount of food redistributed.

Number of hubs built in the region.

No bans on fast food and unhealthy foods advertisement imposed in the West Midlands.

Obesity, particularly child obesity on the rise in England and the West Midlands.

Low-income neighbourhoods more negatively affected.

Increase food security, food justice and food sovereignty.

Contribution to localism and generates social value.

Contribution to health and wellbeing particularly that of children and young adults.

Reduction in obesity, including childhood obesity.

Enaction of ban for unhealthy food advertisement in public transport and near schools.

Use of synthetic fertiliser causes environmental degradation.

Synthetic fertilisers increasingly expensive.

Food waste and other key waste streams (sewage and wastewater) currently not used at their highest value.

Build on existing innovative practice such as Minworth’s biogas recovery programme.

Supports bio-remediation and bio-fortification.

Maintains soil health and retain nutrients into the soil.

Creation of new revenue streams and jobs.

Cost savings by reducing reliance on synthetic fertilisers.

Positive impact on biodiversity, increase in natural capital, reduce use of finite resources.

Produce phages for pharmaceuticals and other life science sectors.

Produce biogas and other biofuels for hard to decarbonise sectors.

Quality of soil and waterways.

Amount of biogas generated and compost redistributed.