Four out of five Britons are concerned about rising levels of single-use plastic consumption in the UK, according to a new poll, as this year’s Zero Waste Week focuses on the issue of disposable plastics.

Burning farm plastics will be illegal in Scotland from 2019 after the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) vowed to end exemptions enabling the practice.

Prime Minister Theresa May has announced that the government will consider making the plastic bag charge mandatory for all businesses and raising it to 10 pence.

Free skips in every ward and free bulky waste collections are one of a number of options being considered by Walsall Council as incidents of fly-tipping in the local authority continue to rise.

Sports drinks giant Lucozade will trial a biodegradable form of packaging for its sports drinks and gels at a series of events from September as it seeks to move beyond plastic.

With the news that 39 per cent of smokers still put cigarette butts down the drain, Keep Britain Tidy has launched #BinTheButt to reduce litter and prevent the poisoning of marine life.

In the fight against single-use plastic, the Mayor of London and the #OneLess campaign are adding fuel the Refill revolution by introducing new drinking water fountains across London.

London joins 23 cities in pledge to cut waste sent to landfill by 50 per cent and waste per capita by 15 per cent by 2030.

Zero Waste Scotland announced a new set of dates and venues last week for the public to voice their opinions on a national deposit scheme for bottles and cans.

Several thousand residents have signed a petition against a plan from St Helens Council to reduce the frequency of residual waste collections.