An estimated 38 million tonnes of waste are illegally dumped across the UK each year, according to the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee. Local authorities spend up to £150 million annually on clearance, and the UK has at least 8,000 illegal waste sites containing roughly 13 million tonnes of rubbish. Many contain hazardous materials and persistent organic pollutants requiring specialist treatment.

Veolia said it is the only company able to handle all elements of the clearance process in-house, from site assessment to collection and treatment. The company is also calling for increased Environment Agency enforcement funding, with specific targets and performance indicators attached.

The trial will compare a Faun Zoeller Bluepower hydrogen fuel cell RCV, one of only two operational in the UK, with a Mercedes eEconic battery electric vehicle. Engineers and fleet managers from Caerphilly County Borough Council and Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council will assess energy usage, range and operational performance across different terrains.

Refuse collection vehicles account for roughly a third of council fleets but around two thirds of fleet carbon emissions, according to Cardiff Capital Region. Results from the programme will inform the next phase of zero-emission fleet planning across Wales.

GfAW, based in Immenstaad, arranges recycling pathways for materials such as waste mineral wool, gypsum and other demolition waste. The company will be integrated into Reconomy Nordics' operations. Guy Wakeley, Reconomy's chief executive, said the acquisition "strengthens our capabilities in providing circular solutions for business with complex waste streams across the EU."

The acquisition follows what Reconomy described as a record year in 2025, with strong revenue and earnings growth alongside five other acquisitions.

Gerry Docherty, managing director, said: “This rebrand is not a change in direction. Our purpose has always been to progress the transition to a circular economy. What’s changed is the scale of the challenge, and the opportunity.” The rebrand was launched at an event in Glasgow on 26 February, attended by representatives from Circular Glasgow, Zero Waste Scotland, the University of Glasgow and the Scottish Investment Bank.

Roy Bellis, site manager at Zorbatek, said: “We specialise in taking this material and turning it into a valuable product. If businesses like ours didn’t exist, these materials would be landfilled despite being 100% recyclable.” The company, which is ISO9001 accredited, has invested more than £5m in its processing facility and said it intends to expand both its workforce and technical capacity.