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Sorting plants for household recycling, when materials are collected in one bag or bin, are reporting that the amount of recyclables recovered is remaining static at around the 86% level. Latest data from the sorting plants, known as materials recycling facilities, shows that in the first quarter of 2017, the material, which comes in commingled…
A consultation on proposals from China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection over changes to import controls of materials for recycling within the country, has now closed (25 August). The consultation will lead to the revision of current GB Standards for the importing of “solid wastes as raw materials”, and is set to have a dramatic impact…
Planes taking off from British airports could be fuelled by waste, under a new government scheme. The Department of Transport is offering £22m to projects in the UK developing low carbon waste-based fuels for planes and lorries, with matched funding from industry. Already, there has been over 70 groups interested in bidding for the funding,…
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has officially proposed that London’s 50% recycling target be pushed back by five years to 2025 for local authorities. He also called incineration “undesirable, costly and an inefficient use of resources”. The UK has a national recycling target set by the European Union of 50% by 2020, although ministers…
Environment Agency officers in the North East of England are taking part in a six-month trial of body work cameras. The trial – which started in April – is aimed at assessing if cameras can help reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour, assaults and threats against staff, particularly those working with regulated and illegal waste sites….
The Environment Agency has issued updated guidance relating to the export of packaging, batteries and waste electrical items for recycling. The guidance relates to the rules surrounding the need to send materials to plants which have “broadly equivalent” status to facilities within the UK. The rules come under producer responsibility legislation, where on packaging (such…
The Environment Secretary Michael Gove has announced plans for a renewed strategy on waste and resources that will “look ahead to opportunities outside the EU”. Speaking at an event held by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in July on ‘Delivering a Green Brexit’, Mr Gove outlined policies aimed at reducing the amount of plastic entering…
Councils have the opportunity until the end of September to apply for money from a £665,000 fund to support projects, led by local authorities, which will deliver increased levels of re-use and recycling of waste electrical equipment. The money comes from producers and retailers of electrical equipment in the form of either payments to the…
The data for the second quarter of 2017 for the recycling and recovery of packaging waste shows that the UK is set to meet its targets for 2017. There have been concerns that with difficulties over the export of some waste plastics to China, the level of reprocessing would fall and insufficient plastics evidence would…
Concerns about fly-tipping remain on the local authority agenda with incidents on the rise in many parts of the UK. Now a database has been made available for use by local authorities and other interested parties which shows the problems and costs in council areas across the UK. The extent of fly-tipping and its impact…
