A round-up of news from the waste and resources sector, including Ultra Biofuel lorries, franchising of recycling centre shops and Scottish funding for convenient stores.

Following the publication of Quarter 3 data showing a drop in recycling figures from last year, plastic recycling organisation RECOUP has called for changes to the PRN system.

The Furniture Re-use Network (FRN) has launched a new Product Weight Protocol (PWP) for reuse organisations.

East Lothian Council has partnered with Cromwell Polythene and Coral products for its weekly kerbside food waste collections.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has granted an environmental permit for a controversial £800-million incinerator in Deeside, Flintshire.

Manufacturing and retail waste has reduced by 3.2 per cent since 2012, though packaging weight has increased by 0.7 per cent, according to interim results for Courtauld 3.

Researchers at the University of Bologna have developed a system to harness the chemicals in grape waste from the winemaking process.

London’s Oxford Street was transformed with yellow chalk last week to highlight the issue of chewing gum litter.

Three new reduction, recycling and reuse programmes were launched by WRAP Cymru yesterday (22 October) after a £9.5 million Welsh Government investment.

Landfill waste in Northern Ireland has fallen, but its recycling rate has also fallen slightly, according to a report published today (22 October).