Plastic

Kerbside box with plastic and cans
Councils face projected £61m annual loss of income from DRS

Local authorities in England will lose an estimated £61.4 million per year in net income once the deposit return scheme (DRS) reaches its 90 per cent return rate target, according to analysis by compliance scheme Valpak.  

aerial image of an AD plant
Environment Agency replaces quality protocols with resource frameworks

New guidance for compost, digestate and biomethane tightens plastics limits and removes market restrictions

Cover of WRAP's LA toolkit
Communication resources released for Simpler Recycling rollout

WRAP toolkit published with guidance and editable templates for local authorities implementing reforms

Xampla secures £10.2m to scale plant-protein based packaging
By
Olivia Loughran
| 4 September 2025 |
Cambridge materials company targets five-year phase-out of 10 billion single-use plastic items
Conveyor belt leading a mix of plastics and bioplastics to a near infra red sorter
Bio-based plastic sorting trial demonstrates recycling breakthrough
By Resource |
3 September 2025 |
PROSPER project successfully separates contaminated bio-based packaging from conventional plastic streams using NIR technology
Female student putting a plastic bottle into a deposit return machine
Scottish college launches reverse vending machine trial offering 20p per bottle
By
Olivia Loughran
| 3 September 2025 |
Four-week pilot at New College Lanarkshire tests financial incentives ahead of 2027 Deposit Return Scheme
FlexCollect 'survival' bag for plastic film to be collected in
FlexCollect results show blueprint for flexible plastic packaging collections
By
Charles Newman
| 1 September 2025 |
Three-year project demonstrates viable collection methods whilst identifying capacity gap and policy reform needs for 2027 rollout
Worker in a safety vest and mask inspects a pile of plastic bottles within a large recycling facility
European plastic recycling industry faces "imminent collapse"
By Resource |
29 August 2025 |
Plastics Recyclers Europe warns that nearly one million tonnes of capacity could disappear by 2025
Recyclables being emptied out back of waste vehicle
Quarter of councils plan recycling service change with gate fees expected to rise
By
Charles Newman
| 28 August 2025 |
WRAP's latest annual report of treatment costs finds many councils have delayed decisions until government policies on Simpler Recycling and EPR are implemented. 
Huw Irranca-Davies holding a glass bottle
Wales launches reuse-focused deposit return scheme consultation
By
Charles Newman
| 19 August 2025 |
Stakeholders asked for views on proposed reuse targets for 2031-2040 and phased glass inclusion with zero deposit transition approach
© Florian Fussstetter/UNEP, Flickr album, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
UN plastic pollution treaty talks collapse without agreement
By
Charles Newman
| 15 August 2025 |
High Ambition Coalition nations including UK refuse to accept weakened text after 'like-minded' oil-producing countries block production caps
Global plastic treaty negotiations reach deadlock in final days of the INC 5.2
By
Olivia Loughran
| 12 August 2025 |
Talks in Geneva stall amid growing opposition to production limits from oil-producing states
Alliance to End Plastic Waste pilots simple recycling system across four Indonesian villages
By
Olivia Loughran
| 7 August 2025 |
Malang Regency project demonstrates door-to-door collection model requiring 80 per cent household participation for economic viability
Final plastics treaty negotiations target full lifecycle approach
By
Olivia Loughran
| 6 August 2025 |
Waste management provisions among key measures under discussion in Geneva
Wet wipe
Defra announce draft regulations to enforce wet wipe ban in England
By
Olivia Loughran
| 30 July 2025 |
New rules propose a £200 fine for businesses selling wet wipes containing plastic
Recycling crew
Government provides details of £1.1 billion packaging EPR allocation for English councils
By Resource |
29 July 2025 |
Extended producer responsibility payments highlight the variability in costs of recycling services
Paul Synnott, MD of Seda UK
Packaging Reform Must Support – Not Stifle – Fibre-Based Innovation
By
Paul Synnott
| 25 July 2025 |
Paul Synnott, co-chair for the Alliance for Fibre-Based Packaging on the contradiction of current EPR base fees
Major grocery retailers collectively commit to introducing reusable packaging
By
Olivia Loughran
| 15 July 2025 |
WRAP and Governments facilitating the pledge to develop interoperable system for replacing single-use plastics
Reverse vending machine for deposit return
Wales brings forward deposit return scheme to 2027
By Resource |
11 July 2025 |
Government announces alignment with UK timetable whilst maintaining glass and reuse provisions
European Commission flags in from of EC building
EC opens consultation on chemical recycling rules for plastic bottles
By Resource |
10 July 2025 |
Commission seeks feedback on methodology to calculate recycled content including advanced technologies
Plastic flakes falling down a conveyor belt
Veolia invests £70 million in UK's first closed-loop PET tray recycling facility
By
Charles Newman
| 10 July 2025 |
Investment aims to tackle major recycling gap by processing 80,000 tonnes of plastic annually at Shropshire site
Woman's hands picking up plastic pollution on a beach
EFRA Committee hears concerns over "last chance" Global Plastics Treaty talks
By
Olivia Loughran
| 10 July 2025 |
Witnesses outline UK priorities ahead of critical INC-5.2 negotiations in Geneva next mont
Scientists review biodegradable products
Regulatory standards favour fossil-fuel materials over bio-based alternatives
By Resource |
3 July 2025 |
Research exposes systematic regulatory bias favouring fossil materials over those made from biogenic carbon