Chancellor Rishi Sunak has confirmed today (11 March) that a new Plastic Packaging Tax will be introduced from April 2022 to encourage producers to increase their use of recycled material.

The European Commission has today (11 March) published its new Circular Economy Action Plan, outlining measures to ensure that products are designed to last longer and are easier to reuse, repair and recycle.

A recent survey carried out by Every Can Counts found that the UK public wants more can recycling facilities in public spaces, with 60 per cent calling for street recycling facilities.

A new report from think tank Green Alliance has criticised the government’s plastics policy for ‘failing to deal with the root of the problem’.

Packaging company TEQ is promoting its thermoformed packaging material Fibrepak in response to companies seeking more sustainable packaging solutions.

The Bio-based and Biodegradable Industries Association (BBIA) has called on Tesco to change its approach to compostables after the supermarket chain included all compostable materials in its list of packaging that should not be used.

A series of polls have found significant public support in Nordic countries for the ‘variable’ deposit return scheme (DRS) model, where the deposit fee is determined by the container’s size and material.

The VAMOS project will explore the commercial feasibility of generating waste sugars from household waste and using them to produce bio-based materials for a wide range of applications.

The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has launched a new public-facing campaign to provide citizens with the latest information on plastic packaging to allow them to make informed decisions about its use.

A round-up of news from the waste and resources industry, including Cawleys Waste Management, Geminor, Peterborough Household Recycling Centre, Devise.Marketing and DS Smith.