18,794 rewards were claimed as part of the digital deposit return scheme (DDRS) Scan|Recycle|Reward trial in Brecon, Wales. DDRS Alliance led the Brecon Scan|Recycle|Reward trial with support from the Welsh government, Powys County Council, WRAP’s Collaborative Change Programme, and local retailers. The trial tested technology that allowed people to digitally scan drink containers and return in-scope items through kerbside collections. As part of the trial scheme, residents could claim a 10p reward alongside their deposit when returning eligible containers. Typically, people are charge ..read more

  The Big Plastic Count found that UK households discard an estimated 90 billion plastic pieces annually, with 17% being recycled domestically. The survey found that UK households throw away an estimated 1.7 billion pieces of plastic weekly, 60 pieces per household. Snack packaging (699,932 pieces) and fruit and veg packaging (697,085 pieces) were the most commonly counted plastic items. 58% of the pieces of plastic packaging thrown away are being incinerated – up 12% from 2022. 17% was recycled in the UK, 14% was exported and 11% was sent to landfill. Commenting on the findings, Laura B ..read more

  Although environmental laws are nothing new, recent years have seen increased legislative activity as a lever to address climate change. Philip Mossop, COO at climate-tech firm Pentatonic explains how we got here, and why it’s vital to keep up with the growing raft of mandates. Laws relating to the natural environment can be traced back over 2,000 years to rules in Imperial China around hunting birds and burning forests. Ancient Rome had regulations to determine urban cleanliness, air, and water pollution. The rapid industrialisation of the 18th and 19th centuries brought significant e ..read more

  Philip Mossop, COO at climate-tech firm Pentatonic, peels away the political rhetoric to examine whether the main parties’ policies are enough to meet the challenges of the moment. UK voters will reshape the local political landscape next month through the local elections before deciding on the national picture later this year. Both the local and national elections provide the chance to frame the country’s ongoing environmental ambition for the next half-decade.  Although the UK enshrined its 2050 net zero target in 2019, the rate of progression towards this goal has been roundly ..read more

  Mark Shayler, author and circular economy expert, speaks to Circular Online about what the next government must do to transition the UK to a circular economy. If you could only pick one policy, what would you like to see the next government implement? Rewriting the Companies Act. Currently, this means that director’s responsibilities are limited to returning value to shareholders. This is defined in S172 of the Act and there is significant discussion about amending this section to embrace responsibilities to other stakeholders. This is particularly prescient in terms of climate chang ..read more

  Chief Sustainability & External Affairs Officer at SUEZ UK and past president of CIWM Adam Read speaks to Circular Online about the future of green policies ahead of the 2024 election. If you could only pick one policy, what would you like to see the next government implement? We’d like to see the government push ahead with implementing Simpler Recycling reforms in tandem with extended producer responsibility (EPR) reforms to not only drive forward the recycling of all packaging but to set the scene for other material streams that will come under EPR in the future – mattresses, W ..read more

  Waste firm Biffa has “threatened” to sue the Scottish government for £100 million over its failed deposit return scheme (DRS), according to a report in the Daily Record. Biffa was the Scottish DRS’s official logistics service provider and had invested over £65 million in preparation for the scheme before it was delayed until at least October 2025. Biffa declined to comment when approached by Circular Online. The Scottish scheme was scrapped after the UK Government declined a request for full exclusion from the Internal Market Act. This meant that Scotland could not include glass i ..read more

  New research from Material Focus has found UK households are hoarding 880 million unused electrical items and throwing away 103,000 tonnes of electricals. 343,000 tonnes of electricals are also being lost through being stolen or illegally exported, Material Focus said. The research, “Electrical Waste: Challenges and Opportunities”, found that the materials contained inside these “lost electricals” are worth £927 million. Using updated United Nations (Unitar) research the report identified a steep rise in illegal waste exports, which is now at 187,000 tonnes, and the rise in theft, whic ..read more

  Virgin Media O2 and environmental charity Hubbub have provided £400,000 in funding for its device lending scheme that aims to provide tablets and smartphones across the UK. The Tech Lending Community scheme, which was established in 2022, aims to tackle digital exclusion and electronic waste by providing second-hand devices to people in need, while also giving technology a second life through reuse. As part of a new round of funding, Virgin Media O2 said homelessness charities, Centrepoint and Thames Reach will receive over 500 tablets and smartphones that will also use free O2 mobile ..read more

  Following a sold-out Resource Conference Cymru, Circular Online picks out five key insights from the event. Last week, Resource Conference Cymru (RCC) returned to Sophia Gardens for another sold-out conference where delegates explored how the resources and waste sector can deliver the infrastructure for a circular Wales. Here are our five key insights from the event: Real examples of sustainability driving profits The reality of digital deposit return schemes Materials in the circular economy Circular communities Lack of circular awareness Real examples of sustainability driving prof ..read more