What do we want? PLASTICS INFRASTRUCTURE. When do we want it? NOW. There was frustration in the air at last month’s UK Plastics Reprocessing conference.
UK Plastics Reprocessing conference programme Developing domestic plastics reprocessing capacity is an essential part of the circular economy – join key members of the supply chain to find solutions and access the opportunities of the infrastructure challenge.
How can Scotland crack its consistency issue? Contamination in the recycling stream, or indeed the residual waste stream, is a perennial problem for those working at the sharp end of collection and processing.
Are efforts to create biodegradable plastic packaging missing the point about sustainability? Recently, I came across a video promoting Gone, an “eco-friendly” solution for runners and cyclists: an energy gel encased in plant-based bioplastics that will “biodegrade in a matter of days”. 1 comment
Are we losing sight of the real sustainability goal in our quest to find convenient solutions? This year’s shelves have been stocked with bamboo straws, paper bags and compostable coffee cups.
Nespresso's Julie Gallacher: 'It's about what happens in the full life cycle of a product' How you take your morning coffee can say a lot about you, but so can the choice of coffee brand.
The human impact of single-use plastics on developing countries The impact of plastics on marine life has been well documented mainly due to what’s become known as the Blue Planet effect.
A new era for plastics recycling Viridor’s owner, Pennon, recently published its full year results. 2 comments
Road to Scottish Deposit Return Scheme sees plenty of criticism After months of preparation and a series of consultations and working groups, the details of Scotland’s deposit return scheme (DRS) have finally been announced by cabinet secretary for environment, climate change and land reform Roseanna Cunningham.
How WasteAid's Widening the Net campaign is helping invest in recycling methods in Cameroon WasteAid has launched its first major public fundraising campaign, Widening the Net.
Seeking clarity for flexible plastic packaging RECOUP receives more questions about flexible plastic packaging than anything else.
Compostables: rubbish or realistic? Compostable packaging looks good in theory, but is it ending up in the wrong place, or worse: doing more harm than good? 2 comments
The problem with plastic film recycling As more of us aim to do our bit for the environment by recycling as much as we can, many people are still left confused about what can and can’t be recycled.
How WasteAid is helping the Gambia tackle chronic waste management problems Here in the UK we are busy trying to improve recycling rates and divert waste from landfill.
Can e-commerce packaging be sustainable? Milkmen (or women) collecting empty glass bottles outside the front door may seem like a thing of the past, but the idea of reuse certainly isn’t.
Energy from Waste predictions for 2019 From the Chancellor’s coffee cup levy proposal, to the implementation of deposit return schemes, 2018 was not only a key year for the war against single-use plastics, but also in re-evaluating the resource potential of waste.
Was the Resources and Waste Strategy worth the wait? Just before Christmas, Defra published England’s first new waste strategy for 11 years.
Intellectual property could be the key to success in plastics The PET plastic bottle is an old technology, but is ubiquitous for a reason. It has a lot of advantageous qualities: it’s cheap, durable and easily moulded into different shapes.
Vegware's Eilidh Brunton: 'Compostable packaging has gone from nice to mainstream' Everyone was touched one way or another by the ‘Attenborough effect’, following the broadcast of BBC’s Blue Planet II, but few more so than Edinburgh-based compostable packaging manufacturers Vegware.
If not plastic, then what? The world around us is filled with many different materials, including glass, metal, paper and plastic.
Iceland's plastic campaign makes big news at Scottish Resources Conference They say timing is everything. When food retailer Iceland announced earlier this year that it would put a freeze on plastics packaging, it was something of a game-changer.
Meet the plastic pioneers developing a catch-all solution There are 39 different sets of rules for what can be put in household plastic recycling collections, according to a new analysis by the BBC.
Finding the truth behind recycling report data August is usually considered a slow month for mainstream media.
Why South East Asia's import restrictions could present a golden opportunity for the UK When China banned the importation of 24 types of waste, mainly plastic and paper, the consensus was that other regions would step up and fill the void.
Why it's time to stop the plastic bashing It seems to have become the norm to deride plastics and condemn them as bad for the environment. 4 comments
