A round-up of news from the waste and resources sector, including  an appointment at ecosurety, beastly bin lorries and yoga leggings made from plastic bottles.

Recycling levels of wood, paper and card packaging is lower than previously thought says the Waste & Resources Action Programme, after it increased its estimates of the amount placed on the market.

A report due later this year will ‘explore how the UK can move from creating waste to valuing resources’.

Italy has followed France’s lead in establishing a food waste law that the Italian government hopes will double the amount of unused food redistributed by retailers by the end of the year.

A partnership has developed new technology to extract unused paint with an industrial vacuum cleaner, with the companies behind it hoping that the process will ensure progress towards a circular economy.

Pokémon trainers have been reminded of the serious risks of venturing into dangerous waste and recycling sites, in their mobile quest to catch ‘em all.

A campaign to raise awareness of the responsibilities of businesses to take care of their waste and prevent illegal activities has launched an ambassador programme to help spread the word.

MP Therese Coffey has officially been given government responsibility for ‘waste’, reworded from predecessor Rory Stewart’s ‘resource management’ brief.

Dr Colin Church will take over as CEO of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management when Steve Lee steps down in October.

Moving rubbish to find a dropped phone, a hurried attempt to put out a fire and mistaking the roadside for a recycling centre are among the worst excuses for illegally dumping waste compiled by the Local Government Association.