Diageo has announced the creation of its first plastic-free bottle for spirits made from sustainably-sourced pulp in a statement made by the beverage company yesterday (13 July).

Environment Minister Rebecca Pow has warned the tobacco industry to “step up” and play its part in tackling cigarette butt litter or the government will consider legislating to force the industry to tackle the issue.

The Environment Agency (EA) released its new five-year plan on Thursday (9 July), urging the government not to return to ‘business as usual’ in its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

A total of £475,000 of funding has been announced for projects in the second round of WRAP’s Refill Infrastructure grant programme.

85 per cent of Brits believe that food packaging should be compostable, with two thirds of those asked agreeing that the food industry should lead the move towards compostable packaging, according to the results of a new Populus poll released today (8 July).

The latest figures released by the Health and Safety Executive show that there were five fatal injuries in the waste and recycling sector in 2019/20.

The Environmental Services Association (ESA) has expressed concerns over a lack of permitting capacity at the Environment Agency (EA) in response to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement of a significant infrastructure investment in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

38 of the UK’s largest meat producers and retailers have signed a pledge to halve the amount of meat that goes to waste in the UK each year by 2030.

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has urged the government to accelerate the transition to a circular economy as part of a Covid-19 recovery plan that prioritises the climate crisis, reiterating its call for a ban on biodegradable waste to landfill by 2025.

A group of 119 experts and scientists have signed a statement reassuring the public that reusable containers are safe to use during the Covid-19 pandemic, provided hygiene measures are followed.