The Scottish Government has submitted legislation for the introduction of its deposit return scheme (DRS) for beverage containers, with the scheme currently slated for a 1 April 2021 commencement date.

The government cannot rule out diverging from EU environmental laws transposed into UK law post-Brexit, new Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers told MPs.

A new accreditation standard, TRUST (Trader Recycling Universal Standard), has been established for recyclers who trade with charity shops, to ensure that collectors meet health and safety, legal and environmental guidelines.

The UK Resources Council is asking for input from across the resources and waste industry as it develops its proposal for a ‘Sector Deal’ between the UK resources sector and the government.

Rick Hindley, Executive Director of Alupro, the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation, gets his teeth into the issues surrounding deposit return schemes and their impact on aluminium can recycling.

Defra’s response to the resources and waste consultations confirm that big changes will be on the cards for 2023, with a deposit return scheme, extended producer responsibility regime and consistency of collections all proposed for introduction by then.

The Labour Party is ‘putting ideology ahead of evidence’ with its proposal to push councils into bringing services such as waste and recycling back in-house, according to the Environmental Services Association.

If targets in the Resources and Waste strategy are to be met, the government must provide adequate funding and allow local authorities to develop recycling strategies and collection systems that are appropriate for their communities, says the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove has put his weight behind an ‘all-in’ DRS for drinks containers as part of a speech on the need to act on climate change, pollution and natural degradation.

The Committee on Climate Change says the UK should bring forward a ban on biodegradable waste to landfill to 2025 after a new report published by the Committee revealed the UK to be ‘lagging far behind’ on efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions.