Derry City and Strabane District Council in Northern Ireland has adopted a new economic strategy aimed at transitioning the region to a zero waste circular economy, with the potential to save up to £3 million a year as a result.

Newcastle could make the leap to a 65 per cent recycling rate by 2030 and reduce waste by up to 10 per cent by 2025, according to a new report from the Newcastle Waste Commission.

With the release of the Global Circularity Report claiming only nine per cent of the world’s resources are cycled back into the economy after use, the circular economy is front and centre at this year’s World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.

Lack of funding at Defra could have serious repercussions for the waste and resources sector after Brexit, with Greener UK’s Brexit Risk Tracker maintaining it as a ‘high risk’ policy area.

Five recyclable and compostable packaging innovations will share $1 million of funding after being announced as the winners of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Materials Challenge in Davos, Switzerland, designed to finding alternatives to plastic packaging.

The EU has adopted the first ever Europe-wide plastics strategy, placing an emphasis on creating secondary markets for recycled plastics in its bid to create a truly circular economy in Europe.

The UK waste and resources industry has largely welcomed the government’s 25 Year Environment Plan, although calls remain for more substance to shore up the proposals.

Ahead of a speech on Thursday detailing the government’s long-term environmental plans, Theresa May has hinted at a potential five pence charge for plastic bottles.

Environmental charity Hubbub will work with coffee giant Starbucks to trial a five pence charge, while industry commenters say wider reform is needed to effect change.

In its new report, the Environmental Audit Committee has advised the government to apply a 25 pence levy to disposable coffee cups in order to recycle them all by 2023.