Local authorities across the UK are declaring Climate Emergencies, committing to reducing their carbon emissions to net zero. But how can their waste management contribute to that aim? Imogen Benson reports.

Statistics from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency reveal that Scotland’s household recycling rate for 2018 has fallen by 0.9 per cent, though the carbon impact of Scottish household waste has also fallen once again.

The Greater London Authority (GLA) has released an updated greenhouse gas calculator for London boroughs, allowing them to assess the environmental impacts of their waste management services against the GLA’s Emissions Performance Standard (EPS).

Peter Jones, Senior Consultant at Eunomia Research and Consulting, presents the results from the seventh Local Authority Recycling Carbon Index, showing who’s surging ahead in the fight to limit carbon emissions.

On 29 July we have already used up the amount of natural resources that the world can regenerate within a year, the earliest date yet.

A report from the Committee on Climate Change says the UK can reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, but will need to invest in low-carbon energy technologies and implement a ban on biodegradable waste to landfill by 2025.

George Monbiot is leading calls for Natural Climate Solutions to combat climate change through the restoration of natural ecosystems in order to draw carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

Zero Waste Scotland has revealed that food waste has the highest carbon impact of all waste streams in the country, calling for a move away from solely weight-based recycling targets to a metric that considers wider environmental effects.

Simon Hann presents summary findings from Eunomia’s sixth annual Local Authority Recycling Carbon Index, highlighting the contribution of councils’ recycling services towards mitigating climate change.

FCC Environment are promoting the benefits of electric refuse collection vehicles, which include energy savings of up to 60 per cent over conventional vehicles.