Chinese ban on plastic waste imports could see UK pollution rise
Chinese restrictions from January will hit UK recycling efforts and risk plastic waste being stockpiled or ending up in landfill, warn industry leadersA ban on imports of millions of tonnes of plastic...
View ArticleWales is second best household waste recycler in the world
Eco-friendly policies place country second to Germany but England lags far behind other countries according to new researchWales ranks second in the world for recycling household waste but England lags...
View ArticleChina waste clampdown could create UK cardboard recycling chaos, say industry...
New Chinese restrictions on imported waste could see millions of tonnes of cardboard being sent back, as the UK struggles to prepare for rapid rule changesImminent restrictions by the Chinese on...
View ArticleAre the days of Christmas wrapping paper and cards over? | Phoebe-Jane Boyd
If younger people are sending fewer cards and shunning wrapping paper, it may be because they know there’s more to giving than appearancesSince early life crawled out of the sludge and decided it would...
View ArticleMichael Gove ‘haunted’ by plastic pollution seen in Blue Planet II
Environment secretary’s action plan, due in new year, may include plastic bottle deposit scheme and standardised recycling policyCutting plastic pollution is the focus of a series of proposals being...
View ArticleMake supermarkets and drinks firms pay for plastic recycling, say MPs
Environmental audit committee recommends adoption of ‘polluter pays’ principle, as well as backing deposit return scheme and public water fountainsSupermarkets, retailers and drinks companies should be...
View ArticleClarets fans can avoid blue passport misery | Brief letters
Global plastic binge | Rubber band wastage | Moon boots | Road songs | New UK passportThe global plastic binge (Report, 26 December) needs more than “serious source reduction efforts”. I have just...
View ArticleThe eco guide to New Year recycling
Now that China and Hong Kong won’t take our rubbish, it’s time to get realRight now you may well be surveying the wreckage of Christmas, all that old wrapping paper. Whereas in previous years I’ve...
View ArticleWhy are our wardrobes full of unworn clothes? Because most purchases are not...
We often buy dresses for the people we’d like to be, and hold on to things because they remind us of good times. But a new survey has revealed that UK shoppers own £10bn worth of clothes they do not...
View ArticleRubbish already building up at UK recycling plants due to China import ban
Plastic that would have been imported to China will cause chaos for councils as it mounts up, warn industry expertsA ban on imports of millions of tonnes of plastic waste by the Chinese government is...
View ArticlePret a Manger doubles discount for bringing reusable coffee cups
Chain will now knock 50p off prices in bid to help change customers’ habits, with the UK discarding an estimated 2.5bn coffee cups every yearCustomers who bring reusable cups to Pret a Manger will be...
View ArticleMPs call for 25p charge on takeaway coffee cups ahead of possible ban
In UK 2.5bn disposable cups are thrown away each year, of which less than 0.25% are recycled, according to environmental audit committee reportMPs are calling for a 25p charge on takeaway coffee in a...
View ArticleReduce waste, recycle more, and stop the burning | Letters
Jenny Jones says the UK must respond proactively to news that China has banned imports of millions of tons of plastic wasteThis could be the year we start burning more of our waste than recycling it...
View ArticleWill a 25p charge change Britain's throwaway coffee cup culture?
On a busy Guildford high street reaction to the proposed ‘latte levy’ is mixed. While many welcome the move to change peoples’ habits, for some, already feeling the squeeze of a weak pound, the 25p hit...
View ArticleRepair cafes and 'making good' in a disposable world | Anna Sublet
In a room filled with common purpose, shared wisdom, care, respect, wonder and delight, I discovered a little ray of communal hopeHere are the hands of Thomas, delving deep into the belly of the fan,...
View ArticleThe Guardian view on recycling: throwaway economy is not cost-free | Editorial
Use less, re-use, recycle. Three steps to saving the planetTake-out coffee and bottled water symbolise both the luxury and the waste of the early 21st century. They represent the throwaway world, the...
View ArticleCoca-Cola Amatil and brewers passing on cost of container deposit scheme
Major brewers have increased prices by between $4 and $5 for a carton of beer, Liquor Stores Association of NSW saysCoca-Cola Amatil is already passing on the costs of the New South Wales container...
View ArticleIs your recycling being incinerated? It’s time to watch our waste | Jenny Jones
China’s ban on our recycling exports has exposed the folly of the current system. A 25p charge on coffee cups would help, but we can do so much moreThe ban on recycled waste going to China is...
View ArticleThree ways to eco-proof your work bag
As MPs call for levies on plastic bottles and disposable coffee cups, reusable ones have become unlikely fashion items. And to carry them, you might need a bigger bag (SS18 microbags need not...
View ArticlePlastic bags charge set to be extended to small shops
Expansion expected of highly successful policy of charging 5p for each bag could be extended beyond large retailersThe 5p charge for plastic bags is expected to be applied to small shops under...
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