Sustainability

Recycle Week 2020
‘Together We Recycle’ themed Recycle Week 2020 begins

After this most challenging of years with everyone of us having to go beyond the call of duty to contain the coronavirus, the public deserves some recognition. This year, Recycle Week 2020 will celebrate the British public’s commitment to recycling during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.


Run by Recycle Now, the UK’s national recycling scheme, the 17th Recycle Week (21-27... More

Dr Antonio Espingardeiro
How robots are reshaping 'dirty, dull and dangerous' recycling jobs

Dr Antonio Espingardeiro, IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers member, describes how robots and AI are revolutionising the recycling sector.

Parliamentary group report calls for sustainable fashion action
Parliamentary group report calls for sustainable fashion action

Developing sustainable fabrics, boosting textile recycling and bringing textile manufacturing jobs back to the UK are some of the key recommendations put forward in a new parliamentary report compiled by behaviour change charity Hubbub on sustainable fashion.

CIWM to promote Circular Economy Club certificate
CIWM to promote Circular Economy Club certificate
By
Rob Cole
| 11 September 2020 |
The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) has announced that it will be partnering with the Circular Economy Club (CEC) to promote its circular economy certificate. 
Anna Pitt
Zero Waste Week 2020: Q&A with Anna Pitt
By
Resource
| 10 September 2020 |
With Zero Waste Week 2020 currently ongoing (7-11 September), Resource spoke to Anna Pitt from Zero Waste Week about this year’s food waste theme and societal attitudes towards zero waste.
Happy Cow cheese packaging with digital watermarks
Digital watermarks could be future of material sorting, says EMF
By
Fiona Binns
| 8 September 2020 |
Research carried out by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) and its New Plastics Economy programme has found digital watermarks to be the most encouraging technology in the future of waste sorting. 
Plastic bottles in a row
RECOUP launches UK rigid plastic recycling certification
By
Fiona Binns
| 8 September 2020 |
Plastics recycling charity RECOUP has launched the RecyClassUK certification scheme to bring consistency to the rigid plastic packaging value chain
Anna Querault Fuentes, Engagement Manager at Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF)
What is circular design? Q&A with EMF’s Anna Queralt Fuentes
By
Emma Love
| 7 September 2020 |
Resource spoke to Anna Queralt Fuentes, Engagement Manager at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF), about the newly released Circular Design Toolkit and the wider implications of circular design.
Oil rig
Oil industry threatened by projected fall in plastic demand
By
Rob Cole
| 4 September 2020 |
A new report by think tank Carbon Tracker and consultancy SYSTEMIQ has found that global efforts to tackle climate change and plastic waste could result in £300 billion of stranded petrochemical assets for the oil industry.
A pile of old aluminium for recycling
Nespresso marks ten years of recycling scheme
By
Fiona Binns
| 3 September 2020 |
Coffee brand Nespresso celebrates the ten-year anniversary of its aluminium coffee pod recycling scheme.
Handful of plastic
EuPC launches survey on impact of Covid-19 on use of recycled plastic
By
Fiona Binns
| 3 September 2020 |
The European Plastics Converters trade association has announced it will be running a survey to explore the effects that Covid-19 pandemic has had on the uptake of recycled polymers.
Stack of aluminium cans
Emphasis on aluminium at 2021 Student Starpack Awards
By
Fiona Binns
| 2 September 2020 |
The 2021 Student Starpack Awards are set to focus on the benefits of using aluminium in packaging after announcing aluminium recycling organisation Alupro as its latest sponsor.
Veolia invests £5 million in vehicle road safety
Veolia to begin southern Buckinghamshire recycling and waste contract
By
Rob Cole
| 1 September 2020 |
Waste management company Veolia will begin a 10-year contract on Monday 7 September to deliver household waste collections and street cleansing services in Chiltern, Wycombe and South Buckinghamshire, Buckinghamshire Council has announced.
A pile of old mattresses.
Eunomia to support Scottish mattress EPR project
By
Rob Cole
| 26 August 2020 |
Eunomia Research and Consulting has announced that it will be providing technical support to Zero Waste Scotland and the National Bed Federation (NBF) on a project to assess extended producer responsibility (EPR) approach to improve mattress circularity in Scotland.
CGI image of the proposed waste-to-hydrogen facility in Ellesmere Port
Waste-to-hydrogen plant completes key engineering definition stage
By
Rob Cole
| 25 August 2020 |
The UK’s first waste-to-hydrogen plant is coming closer to fruition after Peel L&P Environmental confirmed that it had completed the Front End Engineering Definition (FEED) stage for the proposed facility at the Protos Energy Park in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.
mining pit
Earth Overshoot Day falls three weeks later this year – but are we really making progress?
By
Emma Love
| 21 August 2020 |
The coronavirus pandemic means Earth Overshoot Day has fallen just under a month later than last year, and Global Footprint Network has developed new solutions to continue to #MoveTheDate.
European Green Deal to include new circular economy plan
UK recycling rate remains far behind Europe’s best recycling nations
By
Lidia Creech
| 19 August 2020 |
The UK’s municipal recycling rate continues to sit well below those of leading European recycling nations such as Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, according to municipal waste data from Eurostat, although its recycling rate has improved slightly.
Scrap tyres
Can you recycle bike tyres and inner tubes?
By
Lidia Creech
| 19 August 2020 |
Though cycling is seen as the ideal form of green transport, millions of bike tyres and inner tubes are thrown away every year in the UK. Is it possible to dispose of these items in an environmentally friendly way?
Glass bottles at a sorting plant.
Glass industry reiterates concerns over ‘all-in’ DRS
By
Rob Cole
| 17 August 2020 |
Glass recycling company Recresco has reiterated concerns from the glass industry over the mooted ‘all-in’ UK deposit return scheme (DRS) for beverage containers, warning it could have a “negative rather than a positive impact” on the UK recycling.
Coca Cola cans
News in Brief – 13/08/20
By
Emma Love
| 13 August 2020 |
A round-up of news from the waste and resources industry, including Coca-Cola, Veolia, BMRA, DS Smith and Andusia.
Veolia invests £5 million in vehicle road safety
Veolia awarded Norfolk waste treatment contract
By
Lidia Creech
| 12 August 2020 |
Waste management company Veolia has won a six-year contract by Norfolk County Council to treat 180,000 tonnes of waste per year.
Red strawberries in a clear plastic container.
Household plastic use increased during lockdown, says survey
By
Lidia Creech
| 11 August 2020 |
A survey carried out by Community Interest Company Everyday Plastic has revealed that household plastic use has increased during lockdown.
Defra sign
Defra to recruit head of Office for Environmental Protection
By
Lidia Creech
| 11 August 2020 |
Defra has begun the recruitment process for the inaugural Chair of the Office for Environmental Protection.