Government

A stack of mixed waste packaging
UK Local Authority
What should producer responsibility reform look like?

The government consultation on extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging is ongoing, with the potential to revolutionise how the management of our waste packaging is organised and funded.


Businesses have until 13 May to respond to the consultation, and conclusions so far seem to suggest that the government’s proposals for new EPR models are “commendable” but not quite up to scratch.

Non-implementation of environmental law cost EU €55 billion in 2018
Europe
Non-implementation of environmental law cost EU €55 billion in 2018

A new report by the European Commission claims that the total cost of not implementing EU environmental law came to €55 billion in 2018, and costs are set to increase unless action is taken to improve performance against environmental targets.

City of London to introduce all-electric waste collection fleet
UK Local Authority
City of London to introduce all-electric waste collection fleet

The City of London aims to be the first UK local authority to run a fully electric fleet of refuse collection vehicles after it awarded a new tech-driven waste collection contract to Veolia.

Milton Keynes faces £1.75m bill for recycling contamination
Milton Keynes faces £1.75m bill for recycling contamination
By
Rob Cole
| 8 April 2019 |
Milton Keynes Council has agreed a £1.75-million legal settlement with Viridor over contamination of recycling, and has called on residents to help improve recycling to avoid future costs.
Glasgow retailers join movement to reduce Scotland’s coffee cup waste
Glasgow retailers join movement to reduce Scotland’s coffee cup waste
By
Rob Cole
| 5 April 2019 |
Glasgow Fort and Buchanan Galleries have given their support to Cup Movement in Glasgow, the first initiative of its kind in Scotland to stop single-use cups from going to landfill or ending up being littered.
Valpak wins Shropshire Council WEEE collections contract
Valpak wins Shropshire Council WEEE collections contract
By
Rob Cole
| 5 April 2019 |
Compliance scheme Valpak has won Shropshire Council’s tender for the collection and treatment of household waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). 
A gloomy forest
Campaigners pioneer natural solutions to climate change
By
Kate Dickinson
| 4 April 2019 |
George Monbiot is leading calls for Natural Climate Solutions to combat climate change through the restoration of natural ecosystems in order to draw carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
Plastic bag underwater
Australia could ban microbeads and single-use plastic bags
By
Kate Dickinson
| 1 April 2019 |
Australia could become the latest country bring in stricter single-use plastic restrictions after the Labor Party announced plans to ban microbeads and lightweight plastic bags.
Increase in waste generated sees drop in Scotland’s recycling
Increase in waste generated sees drop in Scotland’s recycling
By
Rob Cole
| 29 March 2019 |
Scotland has reported a slight drop in its recycling rate to 58.9 per cent for 2017 amid an increase in total waste generated, according to official figures from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
New JCB loaders on site at Countrystyle Recycling
News in brief 02/04/19
By Resource |
29 March 2019 |
A round up of news from the waste and recycling sector, including new contracts for FCC Environment, plans for a recycling facility in South Gloucestershire, new JCB loaders for Countrystyle Recycling and the launch of a tool to help councils assess the impact of government waste policies.
European Parliament votes to ban single-use plastics
European Parliament votes to ban single-use plastics
By
Rob Cole
| 28 March 2019 |
MEPs in the European Parliament have approved plans to ban some single-use plastic products and increase the collection and recycling of plastic bottles, with legislation to be implemented in member states by 2021.
Information booklets on reusable nappies
New bill aims to make single-use nappies history
By
Kate Dickinson
| 28 March 2019 |
The Nappy (Environmental Standards) Bill has been launched in Parliament designed to promote the use of reusable nappies.
Collaborative project aims to reduce Scotland’s food waste
Collaborative project aims to reduce Scotland’s food waste
By
Rob Cole
| 27 March 2019 |
A new food waste reduction project has been launched by Zero Waste Scotland across Dundee, Angus and Fife as regions aim to meet the Scottish Government’s goal of reducing food waste by 33 per cent by 2025.
Government warns waste exporters of ‘no deal’ Brexit port disruption
Government warns waste exporters of ‘no deal’ Brexit port disruption
By
Rob Cole
| 26 March 2019 |
The government has warned waste exporters to expect delays at container ports such as the Port of Dover in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal, and says businesses should seek ‘alternative’ export, recovery or disposal routes for their waste.
Drinking fountains installed in Bury as part of Refill pilot
Drinking fountains installed in Bury as part of Refill pilot
By
Rob Cole
| 25 March 2019 |
Two new public drinking fountains have been installed in Bury, Greater Manchester, in a bid to reduce plastic pollution and encourage the uptake of free drinking water.
Refuse collector emptying household food waste into lorry
Inquiry asks how government waste policies will affect English councils
By
Kate Dickinson
| 25 March 2019 |
An inquiry has been launched by Parliament’s Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee into the effects of the new Resources and Waste Strategy on English local authorities.
Gove: No deal solution for environmental governance is ‘sub-optimal’
Gove: No deal solution for environmental governance is ‘sub-optimal’
By
Rob Cole
| 22 March 2019 |
“16 full-time civil servants” will fill the environmental governance gap in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal agreement, a situation Environment Secretary Michael Gove has described as “sub-optimal”.
A fire at an unpermitted site operated by Averies
Wiltshire waste site operator fined £200k for illegal operations
By
Rob Cole
| 21 March 2019 |
A Wiltshire-based man has been fined £200,000 for illegal waste operations at a number of waste sites, two of which were the locations of serious fires.
Welsh Government launches consultation on environmental governance post-Brexit
Welsh Government launches consultation on environmental governance post-Brexit
By
Rob Cole
| 19 March 2019 |
The Welsh Government has launched a consultation on Environmental Principles and Governance aimed at considering how to maintain coherent and effective environmental governance once the UK leaves the EU.
Council approves agreement to end Birmingham bin strike
Council approves agreement to end Birmingham bin strike
By
Rob Cole
| 18 March 2019 |
All further scheduled industrial action by refuse workers in Birmingham belonging to the trade union Unite has been called off after Birmingham City Council approved an agreement to bring the strike to an end on Friday 15 March.
All areas of environment at high risk of damage due to ‘no deal’ Brexit, says Greener UK
All areas of environment at high risk of damage due to ‘no deal’ Brexit, says Greener UK
By
Rob Cole
| 13 March 2019 |
Greener UK states that the ‘increasingly ominous prospect’ of leaving the EU without a deal ‘poses potentially dire consequences for the environment, in the short and longer term’ across all areas of environmental policy.
Bristol residents challenged to achieve zero waste
Bristol residents challenged to achieve zero waste
By
Kate Dickinson
| 12 March 2019 |
The council-owned Bristol Waste Company has launched its #WasteNothing Challenge, asking 50 households to track their waste and recycling for a year.
Romaquip secures new contracts
Romaquip secures new local authority contracts for Kerb-Sort vehicles
By
Romaquip
| 12 March 2019 |
Vehicle manufacturer Romaquip has added four more local authorities to its growing portfolio of contracts for its Kerb-Sort recycling collection vehicles.