A new CIWM report examines how advances in digital technology are changing how we consume and what impact that has on waste production and resource efficiency.

The impact of disposable drinks packaging on the environment is to be investigated by MPs after the growth of high profile campaigns against takeaway coffee cups and plastic bottles.

Packaging firm DS Smith, has announced its intention to invest £4 million in its recycling facilities in the South West of England and East London, a week after it appointed a new Head of Recycling.

An estimated £1 billion of food waste could be saved through changes to labelling and food packaging, according to a survey by WRAP.

The United Nations has launched a global campaign, #CleanSeas, to eliminate the major sources of marine litter by 2022, calling on governments, industry and consumers to take action.

The growing campaign to introduce a deposit-return scheme for bottles in the UK has gained more momentum after beverage giant Coca-Cola announced its support for a Scottish trial after years of opposition.

SUEZ, one of the country’s largest waste management companies, has backed a deposit-return scheme, after reports emerged this week that officials at the Defra had said it was ‘unlikely’ that such a system would be considered as part of a forthcoming national litter strategy.

Officials from Defra have played down the possibility of introducing a deposit-return scheme for plastic bottles as part of its new litter strategy for England, according to reports.

A round-up of news from the waste and resources sector, including a new Director for Green Alliance, a refresh for Novelis’s ThinkCans site, new vehicles for FCC and Keep Britain Tidy Awards.

Novel materials like bioplastics and carbon fibre could be key to a low-carbon, resource-efficient economy envisioned in the government’s industrial strategy, according to environmental think tank Green Alliance.