Resource Minister Therese Coffey announced yesterday that Defra will open a £500,000 Food Waste Reduction Fund to organisations working to increase the redistribution of surplus food in England.

Derry City and Strabane District Council in Northern Ireland has adopted a new economic strategy aimed at transitioning the region to a zero waste circular economy, with the potential to save up to £3 million a year as a result.

Newcastle could make the leap to a 65 per cent recycling rate by 2030 and reduce waste by up to 10 per cent by 2025, according to a new report from the Newcastle Waste Commission.

Conwy County Borough Council has announced that it is set to implement a four-weekly black bin collection across the county, following a trial of the change carried out last year.

Resources Minister Therese Coffey says that she ‘challenges the view’ that the Chinese ban on waste imports presents a crisis for the UK, but suggested that dramatic rules on packaging could be on the way.

Co-op will be the first UK retailer to roll out 100 per cent biodegradable, plastic-free tea bags in its own-brand Fairtrade 99 range of tea.

Industry figures have told MPs the Chinese ban on waste imports is ‘the biggest problem the UK recycling industry has ever faced’ and have called for domestic secondary market development to counteract its effects.

Waste and resources firm Veolia has launched a new service disposing of compressed gas cylinders, investing in a dedicated facility in the Midlands.

Food waste management company Biogen has added its first Scottish site to its network of anaerobic digestion plants across the UK, bringing its total up to eight.

Following accusations made by Greenpeace this week, Environment Secretary Michael Gove has failed to deny in Parliament that Defra is opposed to the recycling target of 65 per cent by 2035 set by the EU’s Circular Economy Package.