Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has launched a consultation on the future of recycling in the country as it seeks to reach a 65 per cent recycling rate by 2035.

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has urged the government to accelerate the transition to a circular economy as part of a Covid-19 recovery plan that prioritises the climate crisis, reiterating its call for a ban on biodegradable waste to landfill by 2025.

A round-up of news from the waste and resources industry, including DS Smith, UL, Rubicon and J&B Recycling

The amount of waste wood processed in the UK rose by six per cent, to a total of 3.98 million tonnes in 2019, according to new figures from the Wood Recyclers Association (WRA).

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.

Waste management company Veolia is supporting a Social Distancing Ambassadors campaign to safeguard the reopening of London’s West End shopping district.

Biffa has released safety guidelines for the disposal of BBQs and other hazardous items, after a rise in fires as people attend gatherings following the easing of lockdown restrictions.

Plans to include fuels made from non-renewable materials in the EU’s renewable energy plans could undermine recycling progress, according to a new policy briefing by Zero Waste Europe, Bellona Europe and Rethink Plastic.

Waste management company Viridor has re-won the contract to process Ealing Council’s dry mixed recycling, worth £10 million.