UK Central Government

An image of some fly-tipped waste
One million fly-tipping incidents reported in 2018/19

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published its latest statistics on the number of fly-tipping incidents recorded by local authorities in England from April 2018 to March 2019.


Rows of large plastic bottles
Alupro issues Scottish DRS warning

Aluminium recycling organisation Alupro warns that Scotland’s ‘all-in’ deposit return scheme could result in an extra 823 million plastic bottles being produced.

An image of plastic bottles
British Plastics Federation survey reveals Brexit impact fears

The leading trade association for the UK plastics industry has published a survey revealing that a majority of its members want to remain in the EU and believe that a no-deal Brexit will have a significant impact on their businesses.

An image of a traffic cone
Waste sector one of the most dangerous in the UK, says HSE
By
Imogen Benson
| 31 October 2019 |
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published its annual workplace ill health and injury statistics, revealing 4.5 per cent of waste workers suffered from work-related ill health in 2018/19.
A screengrab of Theresa Villiers in Parliament
Villiers hopes Environment Bill will survive election
By
Imogen Benson
| 30 October 2019 |
Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers expressed her desire to see the Environment Bill continue its passage through Parliament despite the forthcoming general election.
Dumped waste in Wales
Natural Resources Wales warning over illegal operators dumping waste
By
Tansy Dando
| 29 October 2019 |
Natural Resources Wales warns landowners to be wary of requests to store waste on their land.
An image of single-use plastic straws
Government publishes draft legislation on plastic straw, stirrer and cotton bud ban
By
Imogen Benson
| 29 October 2019 |
The government’s ban on plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds is due to come into force in April 2020. 
An image of illegally dumped waste
Illegal waste activity on the rise, says EA report
By
Imogen Benson
| 25 October 2019 |
The Environment Agency (EA) has published its annual Regulating for People, Environment and Growth (RPEG) report. 
The Houses of Parliament
MPs cast doubt on independence of new environmental watchdog
By
Imogen Benson
| 24 October 2019 |
The Environmental Audit Committee has written to Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers stating that some aspects of the government’s Environment Bill are ‘not fit for purpose’.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Defra holding ‘Brexit ready’ events for waste businesses
By
Imogen Benson
| 15 October 2019 |
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is holding a series of workshops to help import and export waste business prepare for Brexit.
Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers
Environment Bill leads UK-wide green transformation, says Villiers
By
Imogen Benson
| 15 October 2019 |
The government’s Environment Bill has been introduced to Parliament today (15 October), amid prevailing scepticism over the likelihood of the Bill being passed.
The Queen addressing Parliament at the state opening of Parliament.
Queen’s Speech: Environment Bill welcomed but industry demands more
By
Rob Cole
| 14 October 2019 |
The government has laid out its legislative plans for waste and recycling in the coming Parliament in today’s (14 October) Queen’s Speech, including extended producer responsibility (EPR) and a deposit return scheme (DRS).
A Tesco supermarket
Introduce mandatory food waste reporting, says Tesco
By
Imogen Benson
| 24 September 2019 |
With a report published today (24 September) suggesting that insufficient data will cause the UK to miss the goal of halving food waste by 2030, Tesco has called for the government to introduce mandatory food waste reporting. 
An image of food waste
WRAP publishes food waste reduction progress report
By
Imogen Benson
| 23 September 2019 |
The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has announced that 121 food businesses are implementing its ‘Target, Measure, Act’ strategy to reduce food waste.
Recycling is ‘in our own hands’ for national recycle week
Recycling is ‘in our own hands’ for national recycle week
By
Imogen Benson
| 23 September 2019 |
Inspired by this year’s surge in environmental activism, the 2019 Recycle Week, which will run from 23-29 September, is on a mission to encourage the public to recycle more of the right things more often.
An anaerobic digestion (AD) plant
Environment Agency to review bio-waste sector
By
Imogen Benson
| 17 September 2019 |
The Environment Agency has announced that it will be reviewing permitted waste sites within the bio-waste sector.
Anna McMorrin, Labour MP for Cardiff North
The system must change: An interview with Anna McMorrin
By Resource |
16 September 2019 |
MP since 2017, Anna McMorrin joined Parliament with a drive to tackle the UK’s environmental issues, hitting out against single-use plastic waste and tabling a bill on extended producer responsibility for packaging. Resource finds out more 
Simon Weston, Director of Raw Materials for the Confederation of Paper Industries
Balancing our approach to packaging reform
By
Simon Weston
| 13 September 2019 |
Enthusiasm to simplify the recycling instructions on packaging risks throwing the baby out with the bathwater, writes Simon Weston, Director of Raw Materials for the Confederation of Paper Industries.
Neil Parish MP, Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Government should focus on single-use packaging reduction over recycling, say MPs
By
Rob Cole
| 12 September 2019 |
Parliament’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has called on the government to focus on reducing all single-use packaging, rather than switching to alternative materials such as compostable plastic packaging.
Rebecca Pow joins Defra in further reshuffle
Rebecca Pow joins Defra in further reshuffle
By
Rob Cole
| 11 September 2019 |
Rebecca Pow MP has been appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for International Development, while Zac Goldsmith MP has been made Minister of State.
Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers
UK may not keep EU environment laws post-Brexit, MPs told
By
Rob Cole
| 10 September 2019 |
The government cannot rule out diverging from EU environmental laws transposed into UK law post-Brexit, new Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers told MPs.
Therese Coffey giving evidence to the EAC.
More Defra upheaval as Coffey departs
By
Rob Cole
| 9 September 2019 |
Resources Minister Therese Coffey has been appointed Secretary of State for Work and Pensions following Amber Rudd’s departure from the Cabinet, leaving no minister in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural affairs directly responsible for resources and waste.
The Sheehan C&D waste recycling plant in Oxford
Resources Council extends consultation deadline for Sector Deal
By
Imogen Benson
| 6 September 2019 |
The UK Resources Council has announced an extension to its consultation on a new Sector Deal between the resources sector and the government.