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

Separate commercial waste collection
No minimum threshold set for business food waste collections under Simpler Recycling
By
Charles Newman
| 13 December 2024 |
Defra stakeholder briefing sets out universal food waste separation requirement and streamlined approach to written assessments for exemptions to separately collect paper and card
Sarah Perreard, Co-CEO, EA Earth Action
The future of plastic pollution is in businesses’ hands
By
Sarah Perreard
| 9 December 2024 |
Businesses must take initiative on plastic pollution following limited progress at UN treaty negotiations
Single use cups ina bin
Government scraps mandatory cup takeback scheme for retailers
By Resource |
6 December 2024 |
Defra cites £52 million cost and limited environmental impact as reasons for policy reversal
Recycled plastic
Recycled plastics partnership aims to drive electric vehicle circularity
By
Beth Jones
| 5 December 2024 |
Polestar and MBA Polymers UK collaborate to integrate plastic waste in EV interiors, aiming for less waste in landfill and carbon emissions
Ocean pollution
Six takeaways from the INC-5 summit on plastic pollution
By
Beth Jones
| 5 December 2024 |
Derailed by opposition from oil-producing nations, the majority of countries in support of an ambitious treaty will look towards further negotiations in 2025
Biodegradable cup
Industry network secures £474k to boost bio-based materials regulation
By Resource |
2 December 2024 |
BB-REG-NET to develop new standards and frameworks for sustainable chemical alternatives to fossil-based materials
Recofloor collection bags being used on site for collecting unneeded vinyl off-cuts
Resource Futures to manage vinyl flooring recycling scheme
By Resource |
2 December 2024 |
Consultancy takes over Recofloor programme from Axion Group to boost commercial flooring recovery
Bins near parliament
Simpler Recycling revision mandates separate collection of paper and card
By
Charles Newman
| 29 November 2024 |
Defra publishes new guidance with TEEP clause likely to maintain status quo for commingled collection of dry recyclables
Plastic pellets close-up
Eliminating $43B in subsidies could reduce plastic pollution
By
Beth Jones
| 29 November 2024 |
New study from Eunomia and QUNO demonstrates that removing subsidies could reduce plastic polymer production, with negligible impacts on consumer prices
Plastic bottles and other plastic items for recycling
RECOUP unveils updated recyclability guidelines ahead of EPR implementation
By
Beth Jones
| 28 November 2024 |
2024 design guidance offers new insights into material compatibility, LCAs and product design
Plastic bottle pollution on beach
INC-5 opens amongst continued calls for ‘ambitious’ plastic pollution treaty
By
Beth Jones
| 27 November 2024 |
Global leaders convening from 25 November to 1 December to conclude negotiations on an international, legally binding plastic pollution agreement
Plastic bottle placed in a reverse vending machine
Trade bodies call for deposit scheme pause after Welsh withdrawal
By
Charles Newman
| 22 November 2024 |
NAWDO, LARAC and The Recycling Association urge government to reconsider DRS plans following Wales's exit from UK-wide system
Recycled plastics
Chemical recycling faces fifty-year wait to ‘successfully ramp up’
By
Beth Jones
| 21 November 2024 |
New report released by Zero Waste Europe questions chemical recycling's role in a circular economy, as the technology faces economic and environmental challenges
Glas bottles on a conveyor belt in production
Wales to develop separate deposit return scheme to protect recycling progress
By Resource |
18 November 2024 |
Deputy First Minister confirms nation will exit UK-wide DRS process over Internal Market Act constraints
Tesco pasta in new paper packaging
Tesco’s switch to paper pasta packs to save 10M pieces of plastic yearly
By
Beth Jones
| 15 November 2024 |
Retailer set to transition own-brand product range to fully recyclable paper packaging as part of the brand’s 4R recycling strategy.
Mandatory cup takeback scheme will require transformation of recycling infrastructure
By Resource |
12 November 2024 |
Valpak report says waste sector should prepare collection systems for 3.2 billion disposable cups used annually
Coffee pods dropped off at a household waste recycling centre
Many happy returns: Podback shows how to build a specialist recycling system
By Resource |
8 November 2024 |
Industry-backed coffee pod recycling initiative offers insights on how to tackle a niche waste stream 
Plastic packaging
UK Government, businesses and NGOs call for international Plastics Pollution Treaty to phase out ‘problematic’ plastics
By
Beth Jones
| 7 November 2024 |
Organisations attending roundtable event hosted by the King issue joint-statement calling on Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to ‘agree to an ambitious treaty that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics’
Plastic recycling
Updated BPF Roadmap targets 70 per cent plastic recycling by 2035
By
Beth Jones
| 23 October 2024 |
The second edition sees reduction from 2021 goals and calls for greater investment and policy reform
Line for the production of plastic PET bottles on the background of the worker. Preparation of containers for drinks and sunflower oil
False recycled content claims undermining UK plastic recycling system
By
Beth Jones
| 17 October 2024 |
RECOUP calls for urgent reforms to Plastic Packaging Tax enforcement