A ban on disposable plastic utensils from 2020 established by the French Government last month has been criticised by a trade association for breaching EU trade laws.

A round-up of news from the waste and resources sector, including a new head of the Wood Recyclers Association, plastic recycling at Fusion Festival and recycling rewards for a children's heart charity.

The Great British Beach Clean, an initiative introduced by the Marine Conservation Society, will take place this weekend as thousands of volunteers head to the seaside to clean it up through the removal of litter – potentially sustaining a soggy bottom or two along the way.

Assets from PlasRecycle’s plastic film reprocessing plant will be auctioned off after administrators failed to secure a buyer despite ‘strong interest’.

The resources industry has welcomed the publication of a plan to introduce more consistent recycling across England in an attempt to increase participation and decrease contamination of kerbside recycling services.

Every home in England could be able to recycle the same materials from 2025 as the government and waste industry seek to address confusion, contamination and stagnating recycling rates.

Wakefield Council is imploring residents to use their recycling better after revealing that three to five dead pets – including puppies, kittens and bearded dragons, are included every week.

An interview with Chris Hanlon, Commercial Manager of Biffa Polymers, looking at the current state of the plastics market

The government will hold a consultation later this year to consider how best to ban the tiny fragments of plastic used as exfoliants in cosmetic products, with the hope of finalising a ban sometime in 2017.

A campaign led by top London chefs to ban polystyrene packaging is misguided, and should instead be focused on creating better collection systems from restaurants, says the Recycling Association.