Three European trade associations have called on the European Commission to safeguard the waste management provisions outlined in the European Green Deal and its associated Circular Economy Action Plan as part of a post-coronavirus green economic recovery.

Almost half of councils have plans to reopen their Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) within the next two weeks, according to the latest Covid-19 local authority impacts survey, while recycling collections have experienced a slight increase in disruption.

The government has stated that there is ‘no reason in law’ why Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) shouldn’t be open and has yet again urged local authorities to reopen sites, issuing guidance on how to do so safely during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Local authority networks have released a guidance document on reopening Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs).

The Environment Agency (EA) has released two further Covid-19 regulatory position statements (RPS) for waste operators concerning the temporary storage of waste at unpermitted sites and the temporary storage of incinerator bottom ash aggregate (IBAA) during the crisis.

A number of Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) across Greater Manchester are to reopen from this weekend (2 May) with some restrictions and social distancing measures in place.

The WEEE Fund has announced that it will be providing more than £5 million of financial support to electronic waste recyclers during the Covid-19 pandemic in the form of its WEEE Support Grants and Loans Package.

Zero Waste Scotland has launched an online platform to match local authorities with private operators to pool resources together in efforts to maintain key services during the Covid-19 pandemic

Garden and bulky waste services remain disrupted and more Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) close while core collections services continue to be maintained, according to the latest Covid-19 local authority impacts survey.

Robert Jenrick, the Secretary for Housing, Communities and Local Government, has said that local authorities will be asked to “plan the organised opening” of Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) in the coming weeks.