RECYCLING
Right to Repair: What it means and why it matters to you
New tech regulation promotes affordable repairs over wasteful disposal, says Marie Castelli, Head of Public Affairs at Back Market. Â
Earlier this year, the EU finalised a new law empowering consumers to fix their tech devices, even when their warranties...
OIM launches study of single-use plastic rules
The UK supply chain sector is invited to have their say over regulation changes for single-use plastics.
Measures have been introduced since 2011 to tackle the issue of single-use plastic waste, including plastic bags, cutlery, straws and food and drink...
Big breakthrough for polystyrene recycling
Engineers have modelled a new way to recycle polystyrene that could make the material reusable.
Chemical engineers, from the University of Bath in the UK and Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, believe their technique could be the first to make...
Waste Management rules and regs: what every business should know
It can be hard to keep up with ever-changing legislation, but keeping an eye on business waste management is crucial to avoid falling foul of the rules, says Scott Hawthorne, director at Skips & Bins.
Punishments for failing to follow...
Pre-loved furniture polished into new life
Thousands of furniture items end up in landfill each year, when most could be refurbished, reused, and widely distributed to those in need.
Circular Communities Scotland (CCS) is a membership body of over 250 social enterprises and charities supporting the...
Fashion legend shoots for sustainable fashion
Iconic photographer Rankin has launched Shelter’s sustainable fashion campaign.
Homeless charity Shelter has enlisted the help of iconic photographer, Rankin, to launch a bold new awareness campaign, promoting sustainable fashion and its 77 charity shops across the UK.
The ‘Less is More’...
Navigating the Complex Landscape of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
Alev Somer, Director of Trade and Environment at the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR), addresses the advantages and potential pitfalls associated with EPR.
The recycling industry relies heavily on free and fair competition to ensure that it can efficiently transform...
HMRC collects £1bn in unpaid tax from landfill tax investigations
HMRC has collected £1bn in extra revenue from investigations into underpaid landfill tax over the past 5 years, with £281m collected in the last year alone.
Landfill tax is imposed on waste disposed of in landfill and is designed to...
King’s scientists use laundry detergent enzyme to recycle single-use plastics
Scientists at King’s College London have developed an innovative solution for recycling single-use bioplastics commonly used in disposable items such as coffee cups and food containers.
The novel method of chemical recycling, published in Cell Reports Physical Sciences, uses enzymes...
Ecommerce set to boom, but ‘government must invest’ to keep packaging out of landfill
As Rishi Sunak waters down green policies, concerns are raised that he is failing to take the threat of increased packaging waste on the environment seriously, warns industry expert Josh Pitman, of Priory Direct.
The thriving ecommerce sector is set...
New facility doubles Wales’ plastic reprocessing capacity
A £45 million investment will more than double Wales’ plastic reprocessing capacity and create over 100 new jobs at the former Toyoda Gosei factory in Swansea.
Jayplas, a market leader in plastic reprocessing, will develop an advanced facility capable of...
Wonky food’ boss hits out after waste targets dumped
A sustainable food business, which rescues wonky and surplus food, has criticised the Government’s decision to ditch proposals to force food companies to report on food waste.
Earth & Wheat recently announced it had saved nearly 500 tonnes of food...
Drink our beer- and then wear it?!
Could we soon be drinking our beer before turning it into leather?
That’s the novel concept behind New Grain™, which converts waste barley grain from the brewing industry into a leather alternative for a host of industries, including fashion and...
‘Recycling alone won’t solve the plastic pollution crisis’
Recycling is not enough to solve the global plastic pollution crisis. Everyone must change how they use and dispose of plastic, says Chris Williams, CEO of ISB Global.
In a blog post, Williams responds to a recent report by Greenpeace warning that recycling alone...
World-first for polyester textile recycling
The world’s first commercial-scale post-consumer polyester recycling plant has been unveiled.
Project Re:claim has successfully recycled polyester textiles back into raw material in a joint venture between corporate wear company Project Plan B and the Salvation Army’s trading arm, SATCoL.
Project...
EPR explained: what does Extended Producer Responsibility mean for your business?
Major new packaging charges come into force next year. Prepare now to minimise the cost, advises David Meehan, packaging compliance expert at Biffa.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is due to be introduced in the UK in 2024.
The legislation makes producers...
Using shell waste to end plastic waste
A Scottish firm is using shellfish waste as a base material for plastic-free food packaging.
Blue biotech CuanTec has developed a unique method to extract chitin - a naturally occurring polymer - from discarded langoustine shells.
Working with sustainable packaging designer...
Single-use plastics ban from October
Single-use plastics are to be banned from October 2023 - a move welcomed by the British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA).
From this autumn, new rules aim to cut use of plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks, and certain types...
No more blame game: let’s stop the plastic tsunami together
Technology and human endeavour is turning the tide against the plastic waste crisis engulfing our oceans. You too can make a difference by joining our partnership, says Christine Tangdal, of the ReSea Project.
Around 335m tons of plastic is produced annually...
Redesigning the fabric of sustainable fashion
Fast fashion has literally turned into a mountain of global waste. Tim Cross, CEO and founder of The Circular Textiles Foundation, discusses how technology is key to solving the crisis.
The apparel and textile industry are facing important changes, ranging...
Reverse Vending Machines tackle plastic card pollution
NatWest Bank has launched a ‘first-of-its kind’ network of Reverse Vending Machines to help tackle the ever-growing mountain of plastic card waste.
The machines offer a secure, eco-friendly way to recycle unwanted bank, loyalty and gift cards, which have generated...
Yorkshire glazing specialist hits 1,000-tonne recycling milestone
A Leeds-based manufacturer of glass units for windows with integrated blinds has saved 1,000 tonnes of post-consumer waste glass from landfill in two years.
The waste been diverted into the production of new glass in a scheme which has provided...
UK company unlocks the immense power of carbon waste
Green tech solutions company Changeover Technologies looks set to revolutionise industry and carbon-dependent manufacturing sectors with its breakthrough ‘waste harvesting’ technology.
After five years of R&D the company has developed a two-step process which takes carbon waste material and transform it...
Recycling wastewater: it’s time for food and drink sector to step up
Engineering expert Ian Hart, of adi Projects, says the food and drink sector can make a real difference to contribute positively discusses the benefits of recycling wastewater.
Since the beginning of the last century, water use across the globe has...
EcoPlants to tackle plastic waste crisis
Ten new ecoPlants are planned across the UK, thanks to a joint venture which could see over £400m invested in the building of these advanced recycling facilities.
The partnership, between Clean Planet Energy and private equity firm Crossroads Real Estate, has...
The perils of ‘wish-cycling’
If nothing changes, a quarter of all recycling could be contaminated by 2030, says David Heaton of Biffa.
Nearly one fifth (17%) of waste in England and Wales (from businesses and households) can’t be recycled due to contamination.
A recent WRAP...
Five ways businesses can support their bottom line and sustainability goals
Edward Pigg, Managing Director of Axil Integrated Services, explores how businesses can support their bottom line and sustainability goals.
It’s no secret that the cost of living is having an unprecedented impact on business margins. In fact, Barclays revealed recently...
Dobbies Garden Centre expands compost bag recycling scheme across UK
Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre retailer, has expanded its compost bag recycling
scheme following a successful trial across 10 of its stores.
Waste-aware gardeners across the country can now recycle compost bags at all mainline
Dobbies’ stores. This packaging is typically...
Plastic packaging tax: will economic incentive encourage businesses to prioritise environment?
Plastic packaging tax is a form of environmental taxation that came into effect this year, on 1 April 2022. To examine whether plastic packaging tax will prove successful in creating a demand for more sustainable products, professionals should consider...
Greener ways to access water
Jonquil Hackenberg, Global head of sustainability and climate response at PA Consulting, discusses how businesses can sustainably access that most precious commodity - water.
For businesses, water demand is only going to increase, and in the very near future it...
