Materials

Plastic
Over £300,000 available for litter-fighting projects across Britain

Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey has announced today (15 August) that over £300,000 is now available for community projects aiming to get tough on litter.


The first round of funding announced a year ago saw a number of councils, charities, businesses and public projects awarded almost £125,000 to take innovative steps to tackle littering in their communities.... More

Litter
EA investigates companies for shipping 1,000 tonnes of illegal waste to Poland

45 containers of waste are being sent back to the UK after being intercepted by officials, while three firms are under criminal investigation amid reports of involvement with the ‘trash mafia’.

Paper
Food and drink carton recycling pilot launched in Cornwall

Seven Household Waste Recycling Centres across Cornwall will now accept cartons and paper cups for recycling, due to a new partnership between Cornwall Council and The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and Environment.

RWM 2018: The burning issue of waste fires
RWM 2018: The burning issue of waste fires
By
Prysm Group
| 10 August 2018 |
Fire safety expert Angus Sangster will be appearing at RWM 2018 to offer his insights into an issue plaguing the waste sector.
Bike-share companies accused of creating e-waste mountains
Bike-share companies accused of creating e-waste mountains
By
Kate Dickinson
| 10 August 2018 |
The Basel Action Network has called for app-based bike hire companies to ensure they have proper recycling policies in place after bikes were found dumped in China and the USA.
Thames Water unveils pop-up refill points at Countryfile Live
Thames Water unveils pop-up refill points at Countryfile Live
By
Rob Cole
| 9 August 2018 |
The water company debuted its new pop-up water bottle refill stations at Blenheim Palace for BBC Countryfile Live in a bid to get people to reduce their single-use plastic waste.
WasteAid toolkit named in top three waste management publications of the year
WasteAid toolkit named in top three publications of the year
By
Rob Cole
| 7 August 2018 |
WasteAid UK and CIWM’s free online toolkit for community-led waste management has been recognised by the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) as one of the year’s top three publications.
Aeropowder: The young scientists creating sustainable packaging from waste feathers
Aeropowder: The young scientists creating sustainable packaging from waste feathers
By
Gethin Roberts
| 7 August 2018 |
Resource talks to Aeropowder co-founder Elena Dieckmann about ‘pluumo’, a sustainable alternative to polystyrene packaging made from an unlikely waste source. 
Kraft Heinz announces aims for sustainable packaging by 2025
Kraft Heinz announces aims for sustainable packaging by 2025
By
Rob Cole
| 7 August 2018 |
The Kraft Heinz Company has announced an aim to ensure that 100 per cent of its packaging is recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025 as it seeks to reduce its natural resource usage and overall environmental footprint.
Lidl latest supermarket to sell ‘wonky’ veg
Lidl latest supermarket to sell ‘wonky’ veg
By
Kate Dickinson
| 6 August 2018 |
The retailer has started selling boxes of ‘wonky veg’ at a discount, helping customers save money and cut waste at the same time.
Malaysia and Vietnam follow China’s lead with waste import restrictions
Malaysia and Vietnam follow China’s lead with waste import restrictions
By
Rob Cole
| 6 August 2018 |
Both countries have introduced import restrictions in response to receiving increased volumes of waste in the months since China’s ban on 24 grades of solid waste.
Master Magnets to display eddy current separators at RWM
Master Magnets to display eddy current separators at RWM
By
Master Magnets
| 6 August 2018 |
Master Magnets to display total metal recovery solution at RWM 2018, demonstrating the potential of its range of Eddy Current Separators and Magnetic Separators.
Ecosurety first compliance scheme to join OPRL
Ecosurety first compliance scheme to join OPRL
By
Rob Cole
| 3 August 2018 |
By signing up to the OPRL scheme, Ecosurety hopes to be able to offer its members a fully aligned service on the recyclability and labelling of their packaging.
Veolia to recycle 120 million coffee cups in 2019
Veolia to recycle 120m coffee cups in 2019
By
Kate Dickinson
| 2 August 2018 |
The waste management company has predicted a 300 per cent rise in the number of cups collected compared to this time last year.
Compostable cups can now be composted in windrow facilities
By
Gethin Roberts
| 1 August 2018 |
The move, facilitated by compostable packaging company Vegware, means that both hot and cold certified compostable cups and lids are now allowed to be processed in any of the UK’s more than 100 windrow composting facilities
Three in four people confused about how to reduce impact of plastic
By
Gethin Roberts
| 1 August 2018 |
North London Waste Authority encourages people to ‘Wise Up To Waste’ and switch to reusable bottles, as new research shows that two-thirds of people say that they now possess one.
Zero Waste Scotland’s Circular Economy Hotspot to highlight progressive circular businesses
By
Gethin Roberts
| 31 July 2018 |
The international three day event held in Glasgow will feature sessions run by experts, along with sector-specific tours displaying the innovative work being done by Scottish businesses to become more circular.
WRAP fact sheet explains common plastic terms
WRAP fact sheet explains common plastic terms
By
Kate Dickinson
| 31 July 2018 |
The charity has issued new guidance designed to clarify the confusion around different types of plastic packaging and how they are used.
Waitrose to run HGV fleet on biomethane
Waitrose to run HGV fleet on biomethane
By
Kate Dickinson
| 30 July 2018 |
Waitrose and John Lewis will be running trucks on renewable fuels this autumn as part of an OLEV-funded trial to see how using biomethane compressed natural gas can help to cut the UK’s transport emissions.
Eunomia to lead projects on Czech deposit scheme and EU product circularity
Eunomia to lead projects on Czech deposit scheme and EU product circularity
By
Rob Cole
| 30 July 2018 |
The work portfolio of environmental consultancy firm Eunomia Research and Consulting continues to expand, with a commission to design a deposit return scheme for the Czech Republic and a new project to assess the circular economy potential of products in the EU market.
Theme parks offer incentives for recycling plastic bottles
Coca-Cola encourages plastic recycling at theme parks
By
Kate Dickinson
| 27 July 2018 |
Coca-Cola and Merlin Entertainments will be trialling 14 reverse vending machines for drinks bottles in theme parks next year.
Amur launches 24-hour AD feedstock test
Amur launches 24-hour AD feedstock test
By
Kate Dickinson
| 27 July 2018 |
A new rapid inhibition test for anaerobic digestion feedstocks has been unveiled by AD services provider Amur.
Aluminium packaging recycling could hit 85% by 2020
Aluminium can recycling could hit 85 per cent by 2020
By
Gethin Roberts
| 26 July 2018 |
A new report by aluminium recycling organisation Alupro finds that the recycling rate for aluminum packaging has been rising year-on-year and calls for action to further improve recycling rates and quality.