EPR Scheme Administrator PackUK Launched by Defra
PackUK, the official scheme administrator for extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR), has officially launched today (21 January 2025). The...
Simpler Recycling Regulations Mandate Separate Collection of Paper and Card
Defra has announced that paper and cardboard must be collected separately under the forthcoming Simpler Recycling regulations, effective from March...
Deposit Return Scheme Legislation Introduced in Parliament
Draft legislation for England and Northern Ireland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) has been laid before Parliament by Defra, marking a...
Wales Exits Joint UK Deposit Return Scheme Development
The Welsh Government has announced its withdrawal from the UK-wide process to develop a unified Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), opting...
COP29: ‘Rapid Action’ Needed to Align Plastics Industry with Climate Targets, Report Finds
A new report by Eunomia Research and Consulting highlights that significant reductions in plastic production and emissions are crucial for...
Defra Hosts Roundtable Ahead of Pivotal Plastics Treaty Talks
On 6 November 2024, the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) held a key roundtable ahead of...
Wales Recycling Rate Rises to 66.6% in 2023/2024
Wales has achieved a notable increase in its recycling rate, reaching 66.6% in 2023/2024, up from 65.7% the previous year....
Autumn Budget: Mass Balance Approved and Carbon Capture Investments Announced
In its first Autumn Budget, the new Labour government introduced key policies for the waste and sustainability sectors. Notable announcements...
Irish Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) Over 600M Returns
Since its launch on 1 February 2024, the Irish Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) has seen over 600 million bottles and...
UK Government Advances pEPR Legislation
The full Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) regulations were formally laid before Parliament on 24 October 2024. These regulations,...
UK to Ban Single-Use Vapes from June 2025
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that a ban on the sale of single-use vapes...
Households Generated 5.6M Tonnes of Packaging Waste in 2023
A recent study has revealed that UK households produced a staggering 5.6 million tonnes of packaging waste in 2023. Of...
CIWM Expanding ‘Green Skills’ for a Sustainable Economy
The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) recently met with Mary Creagh, Minister for the Circular Economy, to discuss the...
Defra to Conduct Internal Regulatory Review
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced plans to undertake an internal regulatory review, spearheaded by...
51% of UK Food and Drink Packaged with Unnecessary Plastic
Recent research by DS Smith has revealed that over half of food and drink items sold in UK supermarkets are...
Glass Exclusion for England and N.I DRS
Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh has confirmed that glass will not be included in the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for...
Indicative Payments for Local Authorities
At the annual LARAC Conference on 9 October 2024, Margaret Bates, head of the scheme administrator for extended producer responsibility...
Government Funding for Carbon Capture Projects
The UK government has secured a commercial agreement with the clean energy sector, launching a major funding initiative for carbon...
Defra Releases Updated Illustrative Base Fees - EPR
On 30 September 2024, Defra published the second version of the illustrative base fees for the extended producer responsibility for...
Mandatory Labelling Requirement Removed from EPR
Defra has announced the removal of the mandatory labelling requirement from the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) statutory instrument. This requirement...
