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 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).
The Labour Party is ‘putting ideology ahead of evidence’ with its proposal to push councils into bringing services such as waste and recycling back in-house, according to the Environmental Services Association.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has announced new joint business and government investment in R&D around new forms of packaging made from plants, wood chippings and food waste.
£1 million of funding has been announced by the Waste and Resources Action Programme to support business waste recycling in England as part of a larger investment package provided by Defra.
If targets in the Resources and Waste strategy are to be met, the government must provide adequate funding and allow local authorities to develop recycling strategies and collection systems that are appropriate for their communities, says the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee.
Resources Minister Therese Coffey said that there was “no threat to the sustainability of kerbside collections” from a deposit return scheme as she backed an ‘all-in’ model at an evidence session of Parliament’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove has put his weight behind an ‘all-in’ DRS for drinks containers as part of a speech on the need to act on climate change, pollution and natural degradation.
A majority of the British public wants all food packaging to be made 100 per cent recyclable anywhere in the country, according to a survey commissioned by WRAP and INCPEN.
The Committee on Climate Change says the UK should bring forward a ban on biodegradable waste to landfill to 2025 after a new report published by the Committee revealed the UK to be ‘lagging far behind’ on efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
The RDF Industry Group has responded to the Dutch Government’s new tax proposals, warning that they will be ‘counterproductive’ in reducing CO2 emissions.
The UK has reduced the amount of food waste going to landfill by almost two million tonnes since 2013, says a new report from ReFood, but big challenges remain before we can reach zero waste.
Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has launched an inquiry into the environmental and human health impacts of electronic waste (e-waste) and the opportunities for the circular economy for electronic goods.
Members of the UK Plastics Pact have committed to removing eight problematic or unnecessary single-use plastic items from shelves by the end of 2020 and have identified a further 19 items to take action against by 2025, though campaigners say the industry’s approach is “inadequate”.
The Advisory Committee on Packaging (ACP) has stated that some form of packaging compliance fee could be introduced in 2020, but that the tight legislative timetable would preclude its introduction in 2019.
The government has rejected proposals for a one pence tax on clothing to fund the collection, recycling and reuse of textiles as it continues to support voluntary commitments over legislative action.
Domestic markets for recycled plastics are struggling to take hold, with policy-makers scratching their heads over how to stimulate demand. Rob Cole examines the government’s proposed 'plastics tax' and asks whether it will achieve its desired outcome
The Packaging Scheme Forum has warned of a looming crisis in the packaging recycling industry, with the price of Packaging Recovery Notes (PRNs) for plastic rising while recycling rates drop. Could a packaging compliance fee be the solution?
The UK is not on track to meet future carbon budgets – but a new report from the Renewable Energy Association claims that bioenergy holds the key to cutting carbon emissions.
Plastic straws, drinks stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds will be banned in England from April 2020, Environment Secretary Michael Gove has announced.
