RECYCLING
Recyclable packaging is often nothing of the sort, says industry expert
Brands are being urged to stop treating sustainable packaging as a tick-box exercise, warning that many products marketed as “recyclable” are being undermined by production choices made long after the material sourcing decision has been ticked off.
Packaging expert Nick...
Critical materials made from recycled aluminium
Coventry University is helping a West Midlands aluminium foundry explore how recycled aluminium can be processed into very high-grade materials essential to UK industry.
In the UK vital sectors such as automotive and defence rely on primary grade aluminium alloys...
New recycling rules warning to small firms
Waste experts are warning small businesses to be prepared as new legislation around recycling comes into force next year.
Businesses employing between one and nine people in England will need to comply with Simpler Recycling requirements, including separate collections for...
Be ready for mandatory digital waste tracking
Waste management processes for UK businesses are set for big change, warns Emma Cooke, Envirovue.
In October 2026, the UK government will begin rolling out its mandatory digital waste tracking initiative, requiring companies to record their waste movements throughout the...
Prickly pears show promise as ‘building materials of tomorrow’
Extracting the cacti’s honeycomb network could support a new generation of low-carbon composite construction materials.
Research reveals that agricultural waste from prickly pear cactus plants could be used as a low-cost, low-carbon reinforcement for construction materials.
Composite materials combine strong reinforcing...
Moving circular IT from ambition to adoption
New lifecycle assessment (LCA) analysis from Lenovo suggests that refurbished devices have a lower carbon footprint than new ones, says James Pennington, Director of Global Sustainability Services.
Refurbished technology has long been recognised as an important part of a more circular...
Waste management: key trends & regulatory changes in 2026
The waste management sector is entering a period of decisive change. Regulatory reform, digital oversight, and growing expectations around sustainability are no longer future considerations. They are actively reshaping how waste is collected, treated, tracked, and reported. Graham Flynn,...
Illegal Dumps Are Undermining Businesses’ Faith in Recycling
Significant lack of oversight in the waste disposal industry is leading to environmental disaster, says Suzanne Mitchison, Director of Waste Services, Everflow.
Recent news of an enormous illegal dump being discovered in Oxfordshire will have angered many business owners who...
The Wilton Centre Companies Leading TODAY’S Metal Recycling Revolution
22,000 sq ft of space in Wilton Centre’s Technical Development Area (TDA) has been leased to growing companies breathing new life into used metals on Teesside.
Renowned in Europe for its R&D, Wilton Centre near Redcar is home to 60...
Less landfill is surely ‘A Good Thing’
When thinking about climate innovation, it’s easy to picture big, headline-grabbing inventions: technology, futuristic materials or government policy changes. But innovation can simply mean finding sustainable, practical ways to create connections between people. Charlotte Oglesby, A Good Thing, explains.
That’s...
Reused devices handed out to ‘digitally excluded’
The National Device Bank has pledged to hand out 85,000 laptops, tablets and mobile devices to people in the UK who need them most by June 2029.
The charity initiative is a partnership between IT specialists and certified B Corp...
Waste, energy and the planning system: Five lessons from Portland
Even the best laid plans are falling in the gaps between policy, perception and process, says Paul Rogers, Technical Director, tor&co.
The Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold planning permission for the £180 million Portland Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) in...
Tags transform track and trace for plastic recycling
An ‘invisible’ technology might help solve one of recycling’s biggest problems - proving where plastic actually goes. Alice Rackley, CEO and founder of Polytag, explains how it works.
For decades, the recycling industry has operated on educated guesswork.
Brands put plastic...
The ‘Bag for Life’ Tax: Are Supermarkets Turning Sustainability into Profit?
Single-use carrier bags in the UK have been consigned to the wastebin of history. But now, as shoppers pay up to £1 for ‘bags for life’, supermarkets face no obligation to disclose their impact on the environment, or how...
Transforming e-waste into regeneration
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle must become industry’s mantra, says Xavier Hubert, Head of Circular Economy, Global Services & Solutions, Flex.
Responsible management of e-waste is no longer about recycling or disposal. The focus is rapidly shifting from waste management to...
Used tyre processors face UK collapse
UK is ‘sleepwalking’ into a used tyre crisis, says industry group.
The Tyre Recovery Association (TRA) is warning that the UK’s tyre recycling industry is likely to face a collapse similar to the plastics sector.
Market pressures have led to a...
IT reuse and recycling ‘crucial’ for businesses
Unwanted IT equipment is being dumped in landfill at an alarming rate – and business is largely to blame. Grant Barton, of IT asset disposal experts S2S, explains how to address the problem.
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is...
Europe set to recycle battery materials for 2 million EVs by 2030
With EU and UK recycling capacity at just 10% of 2030 targets, Dr. Umesh Tiwari of Malvern Panalytical discusses how 2025 could be a turning point.
As demand for electric vehicles soars, the environmental impact of battery production and disposal...
Green means not papering over the cracks
Kate Prince, of global hygiene and health company Essity, looks at some of the myths – and realities – of paper production in the UK.
The mounting evidence of climate change underscores the urgent need for sustainable solutions across all...
10 Common Business Waste Myths Debunked
Defra’s Simpler Recycling reforms are now in force, but there’s lots of misinformation about sustainability, which can cause unnecessary costs, non-compliance with regulations, and environmental harm. David Adams, mixed recycling expert at BusinessWaste.co.uk, debunks some common myths about waste...
Jangro unites entire network under Planet Mark to drive down carbon emissions
Jangro achieves Planet Mark Certification across its entire network of 55 depots
The group has committed to annually reduce its measured carbon emissions by at least 5%
The Certification launches Jangro’s five-year plan, focusing on employee education and...
Is your business ready for ‘Simpler Recycling’?
Joanne Gilliard, CEO of Jangro, provides expert guidance on how businesses can prepare for the UK’s upcoming ‘Simpler Recycling’ legislation, set to take effect from 31st March 2025.
Recycling has become a cornerstone of sustainability, helping to reduce waste, conserve...
Jangro expands ntrl range with sustainable paper with purpose
Jangro, the UK’s largest network of independent janitorial distributors, is reinforcing its commitment to sustainability with the launch of ntrl paper with purpose. This product extends Jangro’s eco-friendly ntrl range, delivering high-performance, environmentally responsible solutions to facilities managers across...
The new green way to grow brand loyalty
Brands face huge challenges to prove their sustainability credentials, but technologies like blockchain can make green initiatives measurable by rewarding changes in customer behaviour, says Sunny Lu, former Louis Vuitton CIO and founder of VeBetter.
Following years of work by...
Haulage industry puts brakes on ‘empty runs’
HaulageHub and the Road Haulage Association (RHA) seek to reduce empty runs with new digital platform.
A new digital marketplace aims to cut down on widespread inefficiency in the haulage industry, which sees over 30% of all HGV miles linked to...
UK waste and recycling: new charges from March 2025
Waste and recycling collections will change for all businesses with 10 or more full-time equivalent employees in England from 31st March 2025. Carla Brian, Head of Partnerships, Biffa, explains what this means.
The government has introduced Simpler Recycling legislation to mandate...
Card recycling: banking on a new green era
Payment cards are part and parcel of a bank’s relationship with customers. Maya Tuyen Reisinger, product management director at G+D, explores how cutting waste will improve the customer experience.
Every organisation has a collective responsibility to incorporate measurable initiatives that...
Donate or buy leftover trade paint TO HELP cut waste
Businesses and retailers are invited to donate leftover paint to the Community RePaint network, rather than send it for disposal.
The network also remanufactures donated paint to produce their own ReColour paint.
Over the past two decades, the initiative – funded...
Impact of New Packaging Laws on Your Business
The new packaging EPR laws will be a costly and disruptive change for UK businesses, warns Mark Hall, of BusinessWaste.co.uk.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws are being phased in for the UK, but there’s a delay for paying EPR packaging...
After vape ban, what’s next for e-waste?
The vape ban comes into effect on 1 June 2025, representing a significant step forward in the fight against health risks and the growing e-waste crisis.
The conversation must now shift to tackling other pressing e-waste issues, says Trojan Electronics...
