Issue 78

The Great Pacific Cleanup

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

Vital statistics

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

Wheelie box, 3boxstack, Trolibocs

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

Recycling in New York

New York City is famous for many things, but having a high recycling rate isn’t one of them. Libby Peake visits the city’s new waterfront materials recovery facility to learn if this is about to change

Material campaigns

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

Material campaigns

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

Shipping container architecture

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

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 

Recycling vehicles: A brief history

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.

The Straight story

With the recent sale of Straight PLC to One51, Charles Newman caught up with Jonathan Straight to hear the story of how it all started and what’s coming next for the mustachioed bin tycoon

Battery recycling

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

Plastic: In the bag?

Resource checks in with PlasRecycle to see how the UK’s first facility for reprocessing post-consumer polythene bags is getting on

A new Silo mentality

In an industry criticised for its waste footprint, one restaurant has struck out on a mission to go beyond zero waste. Anthony Halliwell learns more

Mattress recycling

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

Legislative update autumn 2014

Sam Sandilands from Burges Salmon LLP explains potential changes to the UK’s implementation of the Batteries Directive and to the European Commission’s Convention on Mercury.