One in five councils in the UK have now run MetalMatters campaigns to boost recycling of metal packaging after seven new campaigns launched over the past two months.

Northern Ireland has seen its recycling rate break the 50 per cent mark for the first time, according to the latest DAERA statistics.

The European Parliament’s ENVI Committee has this week voted through a proposal for EU renewable energy policy to be brought in line with the waste hierarchy.

FEAD has called on the EU to implement a series of ‘pull’ mechanisms to complement the ambitious recycling and landfill diversion targets in its Circular Economy Package.

Up to 27 million tonnes of waste from industry could be better utilised through biorefining in Scotland every year, with the potential to add millions of pounds of value to Scotland’s economy, says a new Zero Waste Scotland report.

Leading figures in local authority recycling have called for producers to contribute more to recycling the products they put onto market at a panel conducted by the Environmental Audit Committee.

Anders Wijkman, Chairman of Climate-KIC, and Novamont CEO Catia Bastioli say standards and separate collections rather than simply ‘recyclable’ materials will create a circular plastics economy.

Defra has opened up a consultation for WEEE stakeholders to give their feedback on proposals for this year’s compliance fee, with two mechanisms from the JTA and Valpak up for discussion.

A response to the ‘urgent problem’ of Chinese restrictions on imports of paper and plastic wastes will need to focus on quality and markets, WRAP CEO Marcus Gover has told trade associations and Defra in an open letter.

Community-based waste management projects are the key to tackling the global waste crisis, new CIWM President Professor David Wilson said at his inauguration.