The European Union could be banning a range of microplastics in products by 2020 – but critics say the proposal needs to be tightened up to ensure it will have “real impact”.

UK retailer Iceland has introduced the first in-store reverse vending machine in Northern Ireland as it continues its efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of single-use plastics on the environment.

A £1-million fund is on offer from Waitrose & Partners, with support from behaviour change charity Hubbub, for projects aiming to reduce plastic pollution.

Critics have panned the BBC’s coverage of the controversial material, which the EU is in the process of restricting, with naturalist Chris Packham failing to declare his paid position as adviser with an oxo-plastics company during a televised discussion on the material.

The French Government is set to introduce new rules obligating online marketplaces, such as Amazon, to ensure that the collection and recycling of waste arising from products sold through their sites is properly financed.

More than 25 international companies, including Shell, Veolia, Suez and Procter & Gamble, have launched a new partnership to tackle plastic waste.

The Guardian has become the first national newspaper to be delivered in a compostable wrapper, but there is confusion over whether the material can be disposed of in food waste bins.

A new network is hoping to bring together the diverse users of plastic products and realise the best outcomes for eliminating plastic waste.

Recycling and resource recovery business Enva has doubled its capacity through investment in its new facility, previously owned by Blue Sky Plastics.

Andy Moore finds a lot to recommend in the new book by Lucy Siegle, ‘Turning the Tide on Plastic’.