Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has launched an inquiry into the environmental and human health impacts of electronic waste (e-waste) and the opportunities for the circular economy for electronic goods.

A new £40-million research facility that will include the first experimental glass furnace is set to be built in St Helens to boost innovation in the glass manufacturing sector.

A round-up of business news from the waste and resources sector, including DS Smith, Vanden Recycling, OPRL and AO Recycling.

Members of the UK Plastics Pact have committed to removing eight problematic or unnecessary single-use plastic items from shelves by the end of 2020 and have identified a further 19 items to take action against by 2025, though campaigners say the industry’s approach is “inadequate”.

The amount of undetectable black packaging coming to market is expected to be cut by 66 per cent by the end of 2019 due to efforts to reduce the amount of black plastic used in packaging and developments in detectable pigments and sorting equipment, says industry report.

The Advisory Committee on Packaging (ACP) has stated that some form of packaging compliance fee could be introduced in 2020, but that the tight legislative timetable would preclude its introduction in 2019.

Viridor has won the contract to process East Sussex County Council’s dry mixed recyclables for an initial three years, with the option to extend for a further four.

Sorting black bag waste at recycling centres has helped the Vale of Glamorgan cut residual waste and increase recycling.

On National Refill Day, Bristol City Council has announced the installation of eight new water fountains around the city to cut plastic bottle consumption. However, recent research by SodaStream found that only 28 per cent of councils are engaged with local plastic bottle waste initiatives.

Resource management company Viridor is set to open the UK’s largest multi-polymer plastic recycling plant in Avonmouth, which will be powered by energy generated from an energy-from-waste plant under construction on the same site.