Circular Economy

The Scottish Government has published its circular economy strategy, setting out five priority sectors and a monitoring framework to track progress towards a net zero, nature positive nation by 2045.

World Bank report finds 2.6 billion tonnes of municipal waste generated in 2022, with volumes set to rise 50 per cent by 2050 as management improvements fail to keep pace.

A free toolkit maps the fashion industry as interconnected islands rather than a linear chain, allocating carbon emissions by stage and identifying the systemic forces that lock high-carbon models in place.

WRAP has launched a Refill Locator through its Recycle Now campaign, charting 675 packaging-free shops across the UK as survey data shows nearly nine in ten consumers are willing to try refill shopping.

Vessel that carried the circular economy champion around the world in 2005 is now itself being circularised, as Swiss start-up Verretex reclaims its glass fibre composites and restores them to virgin-like quality.

A new report from BB-REG-NET confirms that certified biodegradable plastics must pass mandatory ecotoxicity testing before reaching the market, addressing questions raised by the UK Government about their environmental safety.

A new Business Information Hub from Zero Waste Scotland offers free, tailored guidance after research found most Scottish businesses favour circular practices but lack the understanding or support to act.

University of Edinburgh researchers have engineered E. coli bacteria to convert waste PET plastic into L-DOPA, the frontline treatment for Parkinson's disease, in what they describe as the first biological process to produce a neurological therapeutic from plastic waste.

Scotland's circular economy is already working — 56,000 jobs, £4 billion in value, and productivity 16% above the national average. Now we need to back it.

Six major paint manufacturers and four retail chains are piloting PaintCare, a voluntary takeback scheme for leftover decorative paint and empty packaging in the West Midlands.

Material Focus has launched its 2026 Electricals Recycling Fund, with £1 million available for councils and organisations to expand small electrical collection across the UK.

Stable policy and targeted financial incentives are key to unlocking private capital for flexible plastics recycling infrastructure.

New Fairphone study traces 24 minerals in smartphone supply chains to specific mining regions, finding 75 per cent of environmental impact occurs before the device reaches consumers.