A group of 119 experts and scientists have signed a statement reassuring the public that reusable containers are safe to use during the Covid-19 pandemic, provided hygiene measures are followed.

The risk posed to the waste and resources sector by Brexit has increased over the last few months, with the UK falling further behind EU standards and ambition, according to Greener UK’s latest Brexit Risk Tracker.

BBIA Managing Director David Newman looks at how Italy’s new EPR scheme for compostable packaging will work and what lessons it can provide the UK as it revises its packaging EPR system.

The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (INCPEN) are working with packaging compliance company Valpak to update the PackFlow material reports in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Plant-based packaging company Vegware has teamed up with recycling company Paper Round to launch a compostable packaging collection service across London, Brighton and Sussex.

The consultation period for the Plastic Packaging Tax has been extended by three months due to the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is to “explore the potential for further support” for the waste and resources sector as it rolls out a Covid-19 impacts survey.

The Environment Agency has released two new Covid-19 Regulatory Position Statements removing the need for physical signatures on waste transfer documentation and removing penalties for packaging producers that were unable to register with a compliance scheme during the crisis.

Four consumer brands are responsible for half a million tonnes of plastic pollution each year in just six developing countries, according to a new report by charity Tearfund.

The bioplastic manufacturer Novamont launches new grade of biodegradable coating to satisfy the rising demand for compostable disposable products.