Co-op will be the first UK retailer to roll out 100 per cent biodegradable, plastic-free tea bags in its own-brand Fairtrade 99 range of tea.

Industry figures have told MPs the Chinese ban on waste imports is ‘the biggest problem the UK recycling industry has ever faced’ and have called for domestic secondary market development to counteract its effects.

Waste and resources firm Veolia has launched a new service disposing of compressed gas cylinders, investing in a dedicated facility in the Midlands.

Food waste management company Biogen has added its first Scottish site to its network of anaerobic digestion plants across the UK, bringing its total up to eight.

Granville Ecopark, an enhanced anaerobic digestion facility in Northern Ireland, has become the first facility to be certified under the Anaerobic Digestion & Bioresources Association’s new AD Certification Scheme (ADCS), launched in December [https://resource.co/article/adba-launches-new-ad-certification-scheme-annual-conference-12295].

The EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee has called for clarity on the future of UK waste policy and the protection of barrier-free trade with Europe.

The European plastics industry has responded positively to the release of the EU’s first Europe-wide plastics strategy, expressing support for improved EPR and the headline goal of ensuring that all plastic packaging is recyclable by 2030.

A round-up of news from the waste and resources sector including an extended contract for Biffa, new offerings from suppliers Mick George, an update on the Midlothian EfW plant and a new acquisition by Enva Group.

The EU has adopted the first ever Europe-wide plastics strategy, placing an emphasis on creating secondary markets for recycled plastics in its bid to create a truly circular economy in Europe.

With China’s ban on 24 types of plastic and paper waste in place from 1 January, and measures set to get stricter, the Environmental Audit Committee is calling for evidence on whether the UK is prepared for the impact.