Anders Wijkman, Chairman of Climate-KIC, and Novamont CEO Catia Bastioli say standards and separate collections rather than simply ‘recyclable’ materials will create a circular plastics economy.

A response to the ‘urgent problem’ of Chinese restrictions on imports of paper and plastic wastes will need to focus on quality and markets, WRAP CEO Marcus Gover has told trade associations and Defra in an open letter.

Local waste management company Casepak has been awarded a contract to handle 64,000 tonnes of Leicestershire County Council’s dry mixed recyclables.

The award recognises innovation in tackling consumer waste and ocean plastic through the partnership of consumer giant Proctor & Gamble and recycling and waste companies TerraCycle and SUEZ.

As research shows a third of young North Londoners don’t recycle, a new campaign goes back to the future in order to ‘Save Our Stuff’.

A new online tool has been developed by the On-Pack Recycling Scheme to make it easier to label packaging accurately for recyclability, and indicates the most recyclable material choices.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove has launched a call for evidence on how reward and return schemes for beverage containers in England could help to tackle the nation’s littering problem.

Waste associations have written to Resources Minister Therese Coffey calling on Defra to "take urgent action" to support the recycling industry following China’s ban on the import of all scrap plastics and unsorted waste paper.

Prevention and recycling must underpin the EU’s plastics strategy to reduce marine plastics pollution, according to EU Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella.

JD Wetherspoon has promised to remove single use plastic straws from all its pubs by the end of 2017, becoming the latest bar chain to move towards more sustainable drinking.