Over 29 million pieces of LED, solar and decorative lighting end up in UK landfill sites each year. Is remanufactured lighting ready to provide the solution?
Use of machine learning is powering a new generation of recycling robots in materials recovery facilities (MRFs) highlighting the potential for further innovation.
Frustration over delays and a lack of clarity means Defra has a lot of work to do to regain trust among stakeholders. What needs to be done to get things back on track?
Defossilisation versus decarbonisation. What’s in a word? When it comes to climate change, a lot. Three gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions a year, to be precise.
As the industry continues to transition from plastics to bioplastics, the answer to whether or not tea bags can go in the food waste bin is not so simple
Since 2020, BT has operated a router recycling and return scheme that aims to keep old routers in a circular economy – while also having major financial benefits
Using waste to create sustainable aviation fuel has been touted as one of the crucial strategies towards reducing emissions within the aviation industry
Graeme Hunter, Chief Operating Officer of Barrow Shipping Limited, explains the commercial opportunities and considerations surrounding biomethane production
Resource looks at the impact of vapes and e-cigarettes on the environment and the challenges facing the industry in terms of legislation, behaviour change and vape recycling schemes
Worse for the environment than plastic, moves are finally being made to make the textile industry circular, but what will be involved? And what will it take?
The value of materials in WEEE acts as high motivation for their reclamation and reuse, making the system an interesting test case for establishing principles of a truly circular economy
Blockchain technology enables real-time tracking of resources, and with that comes the power to reinvent waste management and deliver a truly circular economy
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) to sort recycling is transforming the waste industry, with numerous cases highlighting the potential for the realisation of a more circular economy.
The concept of carbon capture alongside energy from waste is controversial but may, writes Kai Malloy, offer the only hope for the sector to hit net zero by 2050
Speaking to Resource, Lord Deben muses on the PRN system and landfill tax. He also reflects on the UK's prospective DRS and the role of today's waste industry.
Finding employment after being released from prison is a pivotal yet difficult task. Emma Love reports on SUEZ’s initiative to give ex-offenders a second chance.
Will Simpson finds out why enhanced landfill mining is being dubbed ‘the next big thing’, and the opportunity it presents for the UK's murky landfill legacy.
For councils, identifying and targeting problematic waste areas and targeting interventions to these places is an ongoing challenge. Rob Cole looks at how three local authorities are using data to generate change
With people waking up to the scale of waste produced by the fashion industry every year, Imogen Benson takes a closer look at the trends away from ‘fast fashion’ towards a more sustainable clothing industry
Across the world, the foundations are being laid for sustainable solutions for unrecyclable polymers. Will Simpson explores how one Costa Rican company is turning plastic waste into building blocks.
David Palmer-Jones, Group Senior Executive VP for Northern Europe at SUEZ Group, has been voted winner of the 2020 Resource Hot 100, our annual poll of influencers in the waste and resources sector.
Discover who has found the recipe for success in the waste and resources sector this year in Resource’s Hot 100, the list of the top influencers in the industry for 2020.
Discover who has found the recipe for success in the waste and resources sector this year in Resource’s Hot 100, the list of the top influencers in the industry for 2020.
Discover who has found the recipe for success in the waste and resources sector this year in Resource’s Hot 100, the list of the top influencers in the industry for 2020.
Significant changes are underway in the resources and waste sector that will have a deep impact on material recycling facilities (MRFs). Rob Cole reports.
Local authorities across the UK are declaring Climate Emergencies, committing to reducing their carbon emissions to net zero. But how can their waste management contribute to that aim? Imogen Benson reports.
Zoë Lenkiewicz, Head of Programmes and Engagement at WasteAid, explains how the charity is providing economic opportunities and cleaning up the environment by turning low-density polyethylene into roofing tiles in The Gambia.
Peter Jones, Senior Consultant at Eunomia Research and Consulting, presents the results from the seventh Local Authority Recycling Carbon Index, showing who’s surging ahead in the fight to limit carbon emissions.
With increasing concerns about the state of the UK’s recycling system, all plastics are coming under fire, but some are more problematic than others. Will Simpson gets to grips with the hard-to-recycle black plastic and finds out more about some possible solutions.
Rob Cole talks to Eifion Williams, CEO of Circular Economy Wales, about how a mutual credit system can generate wealth within communities while encouraging a more circular, sustainable approach to resources and waste.
Scottish businesses have been at the forefront of the circular economy in recent years, and Ogilvy Spirits has been particularly innovative in this regard, turning waste potatoes into vodka, as Imogen Benson reports.
The ‘pay as you throw’ model to household waste recycling has never taken off in the UK, but since its introduction in Guernsey, could it be one step closer to the mainland. Will Simpson reports.
Organic waste and soil degradation are two prominent issues for Accra and the rest of Ghana. Joanna Bingham, CEO of circular economy charity Footprints Africa, explains how one company in the country’s capital is offering an innovative solution to the problem.
Domestic markets for recycled plastics are struggling to take hold, with policy-makers scratching their heads over how to stimulate demand. Rob Cole examines the government’s proposed 'plastics tax' and asks whether it will achieve its desired outcome
Bristol has seen a remarkable increase in food waste collections since it implemented an attention-grabbing new communications campaign. Kate Dickinson reports.
Cath Wilson and Zoë Lenkiewicz of WasteAid present the recycling charity’s new fundraising appeal, Widening the Net, which is being match-funded by the UK Government and will support WasteAid’s work in marginalised communities.
As we journey toward zero waste, the challenge becomes more about capturing hearts and minds. Kate Dickinson talks to grassroots groups in Wales that have created a blueprint for others to follow.
Teresa Arbuckle, Chair of the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances (AMDEA), weighs up how reuse and recycling of WEEE affects collection targets
Portland, Oregon, is a regular feature at the top of American and worldwide green city lists, but how are the residents of the city driving sustainability?
The Surrey Waste Partnership has been making strides with a recycling programme to tackle the difficult problem of waste management in flats. Will Simpson finds out more
Following Stroud District Council’s incredible increase in its recycling rate over the last two years, Dr Sarah Kemp, Junior Modeller at Eunomia Research and Consulting, explores whether its approach to waste provides a model for other councils to replicate
Taiwan’s recycling rate is one of the highest in the world and the country secures an array of high quality material from households. Charles Newman visited an MRF to see what Taiwan is doing right
Thefts of textile banks and their contents this year have cost the recycling industry and charities hundreds of thousands of pounds – so what are companies doing to combat the problem? Rob Cole finds out.
This autumn, Taiwan hosted its first trade exhibition and conference dedicated to the circular economy. Charles Newman reports on the innovations that reflect this new focus on managing the flow of waste materials into new products.
East Devon District Council is gradually gaining recognition for its environmental credentials following its switch to a hybrid waste collection service. Resource learns more about the council’s approach.
Wales has long drawn an envious gaze towards its excellent recycling and waste management performance, but what did it take to get there and what more is to be done? Resource talks to Jasper Roberts, Deputy Director of the Welsh Government’s Waste and Resource Efficiency Division, about Wales’ ambitions.
Coffee cups are notoriously difficult to recycle, and many believe it is better to use alternative materials rather than focus on expensive recycling solutions. But just how environmentally friendly and how much easier to recycle are biodegradable cups?
The use of cosmetics has become an indelible part of our everyday routines, and so too has the waste that comes with it. Just what is the extent of the beauty industry’s throwaway culture and can it be changed? Kate Dickinson investigates.
As demand for electronic equipment in Nigeria continues to rise, what happens to it at its end of life is increasingly coming under the microscope. Valentine Iwenwanne examines the problem of e-waste disposal and the potential solutions.
Gerry Gillespie, Board Member of the Zero Waste International Trust, examines the steps Wales has taken to reach its current position in the recycling league tables – and how it might continue to drive recycling higher.
Simon Hann presents summary findings from Eunomia’s sixth annual Local Authority Recycling Carbon Index, highlighting the contribution of councils’ recycling services towards mitigating climate change.
With purse strings continually drawn tighter, council services are increasingly stretched. Rob Cole looks into how the UK might fund the comprehensive waste and recycling services needed to meet higher targets in the 2020s.
Milan may be the fashion capital of the world, but the Italian city has more than one string to its bow, boasting one of the highest recycling rates in Europe – and an organic waste collection available to all. Kate Dickinson asks if the Milan model could set a trend for UK cities to follow
The damaging effect of cosmetics on the environment was brought into the public eye by the UK ban on microbeads. But what about those less visible, chemical ingredients?
As Wales leads the way in extending residual waste collections, Kate Dickinson learns how Powys went about introducing three weekly collections back in 2015 and how the council has fared.
Don’t be fooled into thinking slavery ended in the 19th century with the Abolition Act. Abuse of the vulnerable is happening today, right now, in all sectors of the UK – and the resources industry is no exception.
Lithium battery use is on the rise, thanks to the ubiquity of mobile phones and laptops, but does the UK have the capacity to deal with these power sources once they reach end of life?
The UK currently lacks the infrastructure capacity needed to treat all of its residual waste domestically, but how much will we need in the future? As the debate heats up, Resource attempts to weigh up both sides.
A splintered collection market, and landfill-friendly policy has put the green image of New Zealand at risk, but a new government and new thinking is offering fresh shoots of hope for a national turnaround. Ed Perchard reports
Unregulated ship recycling in South Asia is killing dozens of workers a year, with European ships flouting safe disposal laws through loopholes. Sid Hayns-Worthington takes a look at the murky world of shipbreaking
Many local authorities have been embroiled in industrial disputes with their workforces over the past year, forced to make cuts in a climate of austerity. Rob Cole looks back on the Birmingham bin dispute and the controversies that brought it national attention.
With a government pledge to ban all new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2040, the use of electric alternatives is on the rise – and refuse collection vehicles could be changing too. Edward Perchard looks into the risks and benefits of turning electric for the UK’s fleets.
In the wake of China’s tighter import standards for recycling, the problem of contamination has been thrown into the spotlight. Gareth Morton discusses what the US is doing to tackle the issue – and what the UK can learn.
If we are to create a circular economy, everyone needs to be on board. Resource looks at how Zero Waste Europe is spreading best practice across the continent, and how lessons for a greener future already exist, they just need to be accessed.
Our annual power list of movers and shakers in the waste and resources industry attracted a record number of votes this year. Here, you’ll find the winners from 100 to one, each accompanied by a voter’s glowing review. Read on to discover who has played their cards right and proved to be our Top Trump for 2018
We've been talking about the possibility of introducing bottle deposit return schemes in the UK for years now, but with Scotland forging ahead, it seems that England might well follow. Cecil Goodbody talks to deposit advocates and opponents.
Fitting cameras to refuse vehicles to combat fraudulent claims against the council has been mooted as a solution to such incidents, but could they also have other uses? Kate Dickinson learns more.
The environment is not usually high on a list of priorities for a fashion designer, but Ryan Mario Yasin is hoping to change all that with a range of clothes that grow as children do. Rob Cole takes to the catwalk to talk sustainable fashion models.
Simon Hann and Peter Jones from Eunomia present the fifth Local Authority Recycling Carbon Index, showing who's winning the fight to reduce carbon emissions.
Ecosurety's Operations Director Paul Timmins discusses why the company and Belmont Trading Ltd have decided its time to bring battery recycling to the UK.
The determination of one group of women has seen a Lebanese village's multi-stream recycling collection expand in the absence of adequate state assistance.
By now we all know about the impact on plastic in the oceans, but do we comprehend where it’s actually coming from, as a study reveals that 90 per cent per cent of all plastic entering the marine environment comes from just ten major rivers?
Conwy County Borough Council's trial of a four-weekly residual waste collection has brought about impressive results since it was brought in in September 2016.
When it comes to being resource efficient, turning a waste stream into a resource is about as good as it gets, and always has been. Why, then, is industrial symbiosis an idea that has struggled to gain traction in the UK?
Approved Food founder Dan Cluderay tells Resource how he’s turning would-be food waste back into a profit with his online clearance food and drink store.
As the city rises up the development index, Bogotá’s waste services are undergoing structural transformation. Now Colombia’s waste-picking recicladores are fighting to play their part as services are commercialised.
Recently, England’s household recycling rate fell for the first time since records began, but should we be panicking about it? Eunomia consultant Peter Jones analyses the stats
The Restart Project is bringing the circular economy to the grass roots, with community repair events helping people fix their technology and build skills, confidence and networks.
With the election of Donald Trump, it’s fair to say that America (and the rest of the world) has been plunged into turmoil. But what does this mean for America’s resource industry?
Universities lead the way in research, but not always when it comes to sustainability. The UniGreenScheme aiming to change all that by reusing laboratory waste as part of a circular economy.
The urban environment is getting more sentient, changing how we go about our daily lives. How could the digital revolution could change the world of resources?
With three billion people in the world lacking access to decent waste management services, WasteAid UK is sharing skills so communities can tackle the waste crisis themselves.
San Francisco-based artist Von Wong decided to do something about plastic pollution by making it ‘extravagant, unique and different’ through the addition of a mermaid. He shared some of his images and the stories behind them with us.
With at least 150 million tonnes of the plastic already polluting our seas, it’s clear something must be done. They may only be a drop in the ocean, but here are some companies creating products from ocean waste.
Sometimes there are bioplastics where you least expect them. Here are a few examples of plant-based materials bringing sustainability to the mass market.
In choosing a drink, your main criteria might not be a beverage’s resource footprint, but brewers are increasingly adding a dash of sustainabilty to their blends.
How can risk-averse councils get the most value out of the recyclables they collect and feed them into a more circular economy? An idea finding favour in Wales and Scotland is a materials brokerage service.
Following a flurry of media disparagement around the 2014/15 stats onlocal authority recycling rejects, we analyse England’s recycling data to truly understand the figures.
Following several high-profile setbacks for ‘advanced conversion technologies', some are now questioning whether gasification and pyrolysis can ever work at a large scale to treat residual waste.
A substance that can provide sustenance to maintain life on earth, that prevents flooding and desertification and that could even reverse climate change might sound impossible, but that material is right under our feet.
Eight per cent of a product's environmental impact is determined during its design, so here are three examples of products doing things the right way and desinging out waste.
Fashion in the twenty-first century is far from sustainable – using up vast amounts of resources and damaging the environment, but what's being done to create a sustainable future?
The recycling industry could learn a thing or two from the sleek world of marketing and advertising. American photographer Ellen Callaway is aiming to raise the bar of photography for the environmental industry.
Smart phones are increasingly designed to give up the ghost after a year or two, but Dutch company Fairphone is attempting to change that by putting the power back into the user's hands.
Modern football is associated with vast levels of (financial) waste, but Forest Green Rovers are showing that soccer and sustainability can go hand in hand.
Using hydrogen as fuel could, in theory, shrink transport emissions to nearly zero. It might sound too good to be true, but strides are already being made to bring it to the world of waste and recycling.
Mary Creagh MP explains what it means to be Chair of Parliament's Environmental Audit Committee and what lessons she has learnt from being part of the government's environmental watchdog.
Since January this year, the market town of Swadlincote has been testing out ideas for preventing household food waste, with £1 million in investment from Sainsbury’s. Libby Peake visits the town to see how it’s all going
Smart product design holds the key to erasing waste and creating a more circular economy. Edward Perchard talks to a host of experts about ecodesign, extended producer responsibility, and what's holding us back.
Love and marriage might go together like a horse and carriage, but what about waste and partnerships in local government? Leonie Butler reports on the growing number of authorities going it together.
Dominic Hogg and Mark Hilton consider what a world without conspicuous consumption would look like, and how the coming circular economy will affect today’s waste industry.
With awareness growing of the amount of plastic littering our seas, what happens when the material enters the food web, and how does it effect what ends up on our dinner tables?
Though they’re currently banned in the UK, pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) schemes where people pay for how much they use, following the ‘polluter pays’ principle, are popular on the Continent. Jennifer McDowall takes a trip around Europe to find out what we can learn from PAYT practitioners.
Ray Georgeson delivered the third annual Kit Strange Memorial Lecture at the Houses of Parliament at the start of the year, reflecting on the past, present and future of the industry.
Resource learns about a project to provide Bedouin and Palestinian villages with free biogas, which is also dealing with waste and helping to promote peace in the Middle East.
It takes sorcery of a special sort to turn waste into resources, so this year we're celebrating the industry's top 100 'waste wizards', those charming professionals that the voting public can't help but find magical
The years of healthy improvement in recycling rates in all quarters of the UK appear to be over. Analysis of local authorities’ waste management performance in 2014/15 suggests a mixed picture. Charles Newman does the rounds
The field of 3D printing is expanding rapidly, with new applications and technologies emerging all the time. Libby Peake surveys the scene and describes some of the more significant developments
To mark National Allotment Week (8-14 August), we look at the volunteer network of Master Composters that are spreading the word of DIY sustainable organic waste.
Following news that absorbent hygiene waste specialist Knowaste is to try again with a new facility in London, Women’s Environmental Network Trustee Hilary Vick asks: Should we welcome the return of nappy recycling?
Two million cars reach the end of their lives in the UK every year. Edward Perchard finds out what happens once your car has reached the end of the road
Fife is the first council in Britain to ‘go monthly’ when it comes to waste collection (at least for a very small selection of its residents). Resource finds out how it’s going
Angus Evers from King & Wood Mallesons explains HM Treasury’s recent consultation on reforming business energy taxes and its implications for the waste management industry
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's War on Waste has raised the profile of paper cup waste. We look at recycler Simply Cups to find out how the troublesome product is currently treated.
Scott Butler, Regional Director at the European Recycling Platform, comments on how the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership will impact WEEE standards.
There is increasing consensus in the resource industry that variable charging is a good idea, but what needs to be done to bring it about, and what sort of system would be ideal? Resource convened a roundtable of experts to work out the details and charge ahead with charging. What follows is an excerpt of their conversation.
For his ‘7 days of garbage’ series, American photographer Gregg Segal asked subjects to collect their waste for a week before lying down to be photographed with it. On the following pages, he shares some powerful results and tells us about the project.
Angus Evers from King & Wood Mallesons explains the EU Commission’s consultation on the functioning of waste markets in the EU and Defra’s proposals for a revised waste duty of care code of practice.
Ahead of the release of the European Commission’s Circular Economy Package, Resource sat down with EEF’s Susanne Baker to discuss the package’s potential and how close the manufacturing industry is to embracing circularity.
We know all about the social and economic consequences of illegal drugs, but how much do we know about the environmental waste wrought by society’s drug habits?
Recycling systems are in place across the UK, so now we just have to get people to use them. Edward Perchard investigates how campaigns are seeking to drive behaviour change in residents.
A child's capacity to absorb knowledge is a powerful tool in environment education. But what exactly do these enquiring minds learn about waste and resources in school? Leonie Butler finds out.
Faced with rampant growth in waste generation, the Korean government introduced a pay-as-you-throw system in 1995. Edward Perchard investigates how Seoul is putting its foot down on waste.
Photographer Mustafah Abdulaziz’s on-going project ‘Water’, which has taken him all over the world, has received support from sources including the United Nations and WaterAid. Here, he shares some of his powerful images – featuring both water and waste – and the stories behind them
Ahead of this year's Glastonbury music festival, we revisit a look at the clear-up operation of the waste created by the UK’s 6.5 million festivalgoers every year.
The sampling requirements for the Materials Facility Regulations have been in force for the best part of a year now, but what exactly have they achieved? Resource investigates
If you can be sure of anything in this world, it’s that we will always have a steady supply of, ahem, human waste. Annie Kane considers whether Bristol’s Bio-Bus could be the future of sewage, or whether it’s a load of… hot air
As drone use takes off, it’s only a matter of time before they find their place in waste management. In fact, they can already be seen flying over landfills and cropland, monitoring waste, with more applications sure to follow.
With the current turmoil in commodity prices, Resource asked industry commentators to answer the question: To what extent can recycled material replace virgin counterparts?
Flexible laminated packaging has been a boon for manufacturers, but a challenge for recycling companies. Annie Kane discovers an innovation in technology that could change all that
Nick Watts discovers how HMP Huntercombe is setting a positive example when it comes to managing food waste at the same time as saving money and having a positive effect on the rehabilitation of prisoners
Large-scale incidents of fly-tipping seem to be ever increasing, and though education is the key to reduction, Croydon has taken the novel approach of naming and shaming those caught to deter others. Thomas Dimech investigates
Ljubljana has become the first capital in the EU to adopt a zero waste goal, but sending zero waste to landfill requires a lot of work and education. Edward Perchard finds out how the city aims to reduce waste arisings
Packaging is at a crossroads, with innovation spreading in different directions and stalling in others. But why is the industry so split on the issue? Edward Perchard assesses the situation
With election manifestos beginning to surface, remind yourself what the various parties said about the environment back in the pure, uncomplicated days of 2015.
Chancellor George Osborne stated in his Budget 2015 speech that “we are all part of one United Kingdom”. However, approaches to waste and recycling across the different governments are becoming increasingly fractured. Resource reports
'Waste as a resource’ is one of the defining mantras of our sector, but what about extending that to ‘greenhouse gas as a resource’? Libby Peake catches up with a man with exactly that vision
England and Wales now have the same legal requirement for local authorities to separately collect certain dry recyclables – but uptake of separate collections in the two countries has been vastly different. Annie Kane finds out why
After reviewing the separate sort vs. co-mingled debate, Annie Kane takes a look at a local authority that has chosen to undertake co-mingled collections, and the reasons for doing so
Despite stutters in recycling figures, Eunomia’s third Local Authority Recycling Carbon Index (included with this issue of Resource), shows the carbon figures associated with household collection are improving. Simon Hann has more
In the spirit of debate Iain Gulland called for in his Kit Strange Memorial Lecture, we asked five commentators for their thoughts on his Ofwaste idea. Here’s what they had to say
Zero Waste Scotland’s Iain Gulland – last year’s Hot 100 winner – delivered the second annual Kit Strange Memorial Lecture at the House of Commons this year. In this introduction and excerpt from his speech, he outlines his vision for the sector
We might pay for our meals in gourmet restaurants with plastic, but how would you feel about eating something that’s fed on plastic? Leonie Butler reports
With the UK hairdressing industry worth an estimated £5 billion, it’s time to cut to the chase and blow (dry) some resource efficiency into the arena. Leonie Butler talks to Élan Hair Design, which has embraced the green (rinse)
In February, Pembrokeshire County Council launched a new residual waste treatment framework agreement for Welsh local authorities. Annie Kane learns more about how it works
Denmark is experiencing a waste management revolution after moving to quash its reliance on incineration, but how do you change the mindset of a nation? Edward Perchard finds out
As England’s landfill space nears capacity, many organisations are looking to turn old landfills into community spaces. Annie Kane finds out whether landfill restoration is really a walk in park
After decades of relentlessly rising recycling rates, in which the answer to our titular question would have been a resounding ‘yes’, the figures for the 2013/14 residual waste league table provide a different response altogether (in England, at least). Charles Newman has more
Energy efficiency is often seen as an ecological holy grail, promising economic growth and environmental protection, but scientists are increasingly cautioning that the ‘rebound effect’ means this might not be so. Libby Peake learns more
You hear a lot about the problem of waste crime, but what about the solutions? Roy Hunt offers some suggestions to get our industry back on the straight and narrow
With geological disposal being touted as the UK’s answer for storing intermediate-level nuclear waste, Annie Kane finds out about a new scientific discovery that could help ensure its safety
For our annual power list, we asked you to name the brightest sparks in the resources industry. Here, from 100 on down, are the people who are making the biggest bangs and receiving the loudest 'Oohs and aahs'.
Around the globe, Milan is recognised as a fashion capital, but it turns out it should also be recognised as a food waste recycling capital. Charles Newman learns more
The world’s plastic problem is spiralling out of control, with millions of tonnes currently swirling in ocean currents, but cleaning it up has always been deemed impossible. Libby Peake speaks to a 20-year-old who may just have found the solution
With separate collections of dry recyclables set to become the norm in 2015, Annie Kane hits the streets to see how one system stacks up to Waste Framework Directive requirements, as well as to householder expectations
With local authority recycling communications suffering from budget cuts, Resource gathered representatives of material-specific trade bodies (and LARAC) around a table to discuss how to fill the gap. Here’s what they had to say
With local authority recycling communications suffering from budget cuts, Resource gathered representatives of material-specific trade bodies (and LARAC) around a table to discuss how to fill the gap. Here’s what they had to say
Intermodal shipping containers revolutionised freight transportation, as they could be used on ships, railways and roads. Increasingly, they’re also being used in housing, once their travelling days are over. Verity Rogers takes a look at some of the creative uses they’ve been put to
Extended producer responsibility (EPR) sounds sensible and enticing from a waste management perspective. But how far is it possible to go, and what do we need to do to achieve it? Resource asked four experts
It turns out that the tried and tested waste statistic hasn’t been all that tested – and others ought to be tried. Eunomia’s Emma Gowing and Steve Watson describe how to breathe new life into public engagement
In the past hundred years, recycling collection has developed from horse and carts to fully mechanised separate-sort vehicles. Verity Rogers learns more about how things have changed.
There’s a new waste mountain on the horizon and it is made up of portable batteries. Resource gazes up at the problem and assesses the best way to conquer it
With most people now recycling paper and packaging, attention is turning to trickier streams. Resource finds out how London is aiming to boost mattress recycling
With so much effort going into increasing recycling, remanufacturing doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. But are businesses finally ready to pick up the effort and create as-new products from used pieces? Annie Reece finds out
With yesterday’s must-have electronic device becoming today’s cast-off lump of rubbish, the world is accumulating an ever-growing mountain of e-waste. Libby Peake learns why it’s now time to create some solutions
With various bodies indicating that glass is the hardest material to separate effectively at a MRF, Resource investigates whether it’s possible to obtain remelt-quality cullet from co-mingled collections
As the economic benefits of recycling are increasingly noted, there are calls for the waste portfolio to be moved from Defra to BIS. Annie Reece reports
With materials becoming ever more thin on the ground, it’s time to stop burying our heads in the sand, and that includes recognising the scarcity of sand itself. Libby Peake learns more
With increasing recognition that recycling is about more than tonnages, Eunomia is focusing on carbon impacts with its second Carbon Index (accompanying this issue of Resource). Life Cycle Assessment Specialist Simon Hann explains
With all the focus on householders, small and medium enterprises have largely escaped the recycling radar. Leonie Butler finds out what help is available
Now that AD capacity has grown significantly, Eunomia consultants Hattie Parke and Adam Baddeley consider the problems with stimulating the commercial food waste market to supply these facilities
When a tsunami hit the eastern coast of Japan in 2011, news outlets were filled with images of the damage to the Fukushima nuclear plant. Four years on, Will Simpson looks at the legacy of waste it’s left behind
With co-mingling here to stay, MRFs will remain an integral part of the UK recycling scene. But how can they deliver the right quality of material? Will Simpson finds out if the proposed MRF Code of Practice sampling regime is up to the task
At last there is a way of recycling absorbent hygiene products in the UK, but what happens when you take nappies out of the equation? Matilda Zatorski reports
Toys can provide hours of entertainment, but can be a disposal nightmare at their end of life. Annie Reece takes a look at how the toy industry has been playing around with sustainability…
With the Judicial Review highlighting the differences between recycling systems in the UK and the rest of Europe, Nick Livermore learns lessons in waste collection from five other EU member states.
As we look to manage our waste problems and meet landfill diversion targets, there are now many technological options at our disposal. One that’s been around (and hotly debated) for ages is incineration.
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