The government is to planning to set legally binding recycling and waste targets under its Environment Bill to help the country “build back greener” once the Covid-19 pandemic has passed. Waste management-related targets will look to increase resource productivity and cut the amount of residual waste and plastic pollution generated in the UK, in a…
Category Archives: Environment
Global concerns adding to the UK’s environment agenda
With the environment sitting higher on the political agenda globally than for many years, the UK Government will start September with a busy in-tray at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Public interest in the environment remains very high according to a number of surveys, with young and old voicing concern about fires…
Agencies to be given enhanced waste crime powers
New legislation is to be introduced to give the Environment Agency greater powers to tackle waste site operators who have breached the terms of their environmental permits, the government announced last month (October 9). The promise to strengthen powers came in a response to comments gathered by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs…
Warning to landowners over illegal waste sites
Landowners have been warned that organised criminals are targeting ‘isolated’ areas to dump large quantities of waste illegally. The warning came from the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) following a notice from the Environment Agency in August, urging landowners to be vigilant when entering into contracts with tenants. The Agency issued the warning after…
Illegal waste site operator ordered to pay £350,000
A Darlington man has been ordered to pay back £350,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act – one of the biggest seizures for the Environment Agency in the North East. Tony Leigh Shepherd could have to pay back just under £1.2 million – the agreed benefit sum of his criminal activities – if he comes…
Widnes Service Centre to the rescue
On the 8th August we received a call from the local authority who advised us of an unidentified abandoned trailer in the Widnes area containing approximately 37,000 litres of hazardous liquid. Always happy to help, we attended the site with Simon Walker, Environmental Quality and Improvement Principal Officer at Halton Borough Council, the Environment Agency and…
Environmental permit compliance improving
There was a ‘continued improvement’ in compliance with environmental permits at sites regulated by the Environment Agency in 2012, according to a report. Permits are issued to businesses to ensure that releases from a site to air, land and water do not cause pollution or harm. Compliance of sites is assessed by the Agency through…
Defra one of worst hit in Government’s Spending Review
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and the Department for Local Government are amongst the worst hit government branches in the 2015/16 Spending Review. Despite claims of being the ‘greenest government ever’, the two government departments with portfolios in waste, recycling and environmental protection are amongst the worst casualties of the cuts….
Renewed support for clothing recycling commitment
Marks &; Spencers and Next are among 22 retailers to sign up to the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP) 2020 Commitment. The aim of this project is to reduce the environmental impact of clothing. WRAP has organised the commitment and launched it in mid-June. Those that have commited to the plan have promised to reduce…
Consultation on EU waste targets opens
The European Commission has launched a consultation on whether there is a need to change Europe’s legally binding waste and recycling targets in line with the Resource Efficiency Roadmap, published in 2011. Stakeholders are asked for their views on future recycling targets for household and commercial waste, with options between 50% and 90% as well…