Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Leeds Beckett lecturer is helping councils rethink recycling - 150 years after waste collections began
Dr Henry Irving, a senior lecturer at Leeds Beckett and lead researcher on the university's War on Waste project, was invited to deliver a keynote address at the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee's (LARAC) annual conference - the largest gathering of UK waste and recycling professionals, held at Birmingham's NEC.
The invitation reflects Leeds Beckett's growing role in supporting councils to deliver practical sustainability improvements. The War on Waste project helps local and national government bodies in the UK develop polices to combat climate change, learning from the long history of waste and the rapid upturn in recycling among British households in World War Two.
This year's LARAC conference celebrated the organisation's 40th anniversary and attracted nearly 600 delegates from around 170 local authorities. It coincided with a milestone year in environmental history: 150 years since most UK councils were first required by law to collect household waste. Dr Irving used this anniversary to reveal what the past can teach us about current challenges - including how councils can successfully roll out new 'Simpler Recycling' policies.
His talk, which included reference back to LARAC's beginnings in 1985 when there was almost no local authority recycling, sparked lively debate on the conference floor and online, with organisers praising the session for "demonstrating how much value there is in stepping outside our technical bubble to challenge narratives, question assumptions and better understand the social dimensions of environmental change."
Dr Irving is now working with several local authorities, including some in Yorkshire, to support new recycling initiatives and community engagement work.
Dr Irving says: "Recycling didn't become standard overnight. Councils had to balance cost, public attitudes, and environmental goals. Understanding that, helps us design policies that actually work in practice today.
"It's exciting to see Leeds Beckett research shaping real decisions on the ground."
The project has been supported by environmental charity WRAP and funded by a British Academy Innovation Fellowship. Dr Irving's attendance at LARAC was supported by Leeds Beckett's School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
In this article
Dr Henry Irving
Henry is a Senior Lecturer in Public History and an expert on the history of waste and resources.
