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.

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.

New public water fountains and bottle refill points are set to be set up across London, part of Mayor Sadiq Khan’s campaign against single-use plastic waste.

The EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee has called for clarity on the future of UK waste policy and the protection of barrier-free trade with Europe.

Leicester-based recycling and waste management firm Casepak has been awarded a 20,000 tonne recycling contract by Cherwell District and South Northamptonshire Council

A round-up of news from the waste and resources sector including an extended contract for Biffa, new offerings from suppliers Mick George, an update on the Midlothian EfW plant and a new acquisition by Enva Group.

The Environment Agency will be able to lock the gates at problem waste sites and force operators to clear all their waste under new waste crime powers to be introduced by the government this spring, while a consultation is considering further measures to take.