The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (INCPEN) are working with packaging compliance company Valpak to update the PackFlow material reports in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Plant-based packaging company Vegware has teamed up with recycling company Paper Round to launch a compostable packaging collection service across London, Brighton and Sussex.

The consultation period for the Plastic Packaging Tax has been extended by three months due to the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is to “explore the potential for further support” for the waste and resources sector as it rolls out a Covid-19 impacts survey.

The Environment Agency has released two new Covid-19 Regulatory Position Statements removing the need for physical signatures on waste transfer documentation and removing penalties for packaging producers that were unable to register with a compliance scheme during the crisis.

Four consumer brands are responsible for half a million tonnes of plastic pollution each year in just six developing countries, according to a new report by charity Tearfund.

The bioplastic manufacturer Novamont launches new grade of biodegradable coating to satisfy the rising demand for compostable disposable products.

Fibre-based packaging company DS Smith has developed hygienic boxes to provide essential provisions and vital medications to those practicing social distancing or self-isolating during the Covid-19 outbreak.

A consortium of UK and Indian businesses and organisations has developed a new compostable film designed to reduce food and plastic waste backed by Innovate UK and coordinated by the Newton Fund.

The Recycling Association has asked Defra to ensure that household recycling collections are maintained to maintain sufficient availability of material for food and medical supply packaging.