Yesterday marked Earth Overshoot Day, the day we use up the last of the natural resources and processes the planet can replenish in a year, but the day was marked in Scotland with plans to galvanise resource efficiency.

Communities across Scotland are being urged to apply to become the nation’s third Zero Waste Town and test initiatives to reduce waste and improve resource efficiency.

A new app is hoping to address the 600,000 tonnes of food waste created by UK restaurants every year while providing discounted meals to those in need.

Lamp recycling has almost doubled in the last five years, according to figures released this summer, with Recolight, the UK’s largest lamp recycling scheme, recycling almost one lamp every second.

A round-up of news from the waste and resources sector, including  an appointment at ecosurety, beastly bin lorries and yoga leggings made from plastic bottles.

Recycling levels of wood, paper and card packaging is lower than previously thought says the Waste & Resources Action Programme, after it increased its estimates of the amount placed on the market.

The 2016 Olympics are upon us, but it remains unclear whether the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro will receive a gold medal for environmental achievement.

A report due later this year will ‘explore how the UK can move from creating waste to valuing resources’.

Italy has followed France’s lead in establishing a food waste law that the Italian government hopes will double the amount of unused food redistributed by retailers by the end of the year.

A partnership has developed new technology to extract unused paint with an industrial vacuum cleaner, with the companies behind it hoping that the process will ensure progress towards a circular economy.