Tesco’s single-use carrier bags will be completely replaced by a ‘Bag for Life’ made from 94 per cent recycled plastic from the end of August, with sales funding community projects across the UK.

£665,000 of new funding has been announced to help local authorities promote the re-use and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment.

The government is to introduce legislation to ban the sale and manufacture of plastic microbeads in cosmetic products from 2018, as new Environment Secretary Michael Gove pledges greater action on ocean plastics.

Sainsbury’s has partnered with behaviour change charity Hubbub and Bosch to launch a new initiative to combat the environmental and social impact of food waste – The Community Fridge Network.

The amount of packaging on over 140 of Marks and Spencer’s best-selling products has been slashed by the retailer, which has also released its waste figures for the last year.

Consumers want more secure and convenient retailer trade-in schemes for their gadgets, providing an opportunity for more sustainable business models and partnership opportunities for recyclers, says WRAP.

As much as one-fifth of all lamps sold in the UK could be non-compliant with WEEE regulations, according to research by recovery scheme Recolight.

Existing economic measures can be deployed to help European countries make the next step in the transition to the circular economy, according to a study by Zero Waste Europe and Reloop Platform.

New WRAP report reveals impressive reductions in water use, carbon and waste in the textiles production cycle from Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP) signatories.

The Scottish Government has commissioned Zero Waste Scotland to carry out ‘detailed work’ on how a deposit-return scheme could work in the country, presenting a significant step in the campaign to reinvent how plastic packaging is recycled.