With a government pledge to ban all new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2040, the use of electric alternatives is on the rise – and refuse collection vehicles could be changing too. Edward Perchard looks into the risks and benefits of turning electric for the UK’s fleets.

The Insider asks what the UK's producer responsibility system has actually delivered since its inception 20 years ago.

Swedish food waste app Karma has landed in the UK, with 50 of London’s restaurants and eateries signing up for the opportunity to sell surplus food to the public and reduce the amount of edible food needlessly thrown away.

The Queen has given the royal seal of approval to banning single-use plastic, with the news that the royal estates will join the growing number of organisations to phase out disposable plastics.

‘Urgent change’ is needed to stop recyclable and biodegradable material from being incinerated in London, as energy-from-waste hinders the capital’s move to a more circular economy, according to the London Assembly’s Environment Committee.

Scottish Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham has revealed that the Scottish Government is seeking to introduce a ban on plastic straws by the end of 2019.

A round-up of news from the waste and resources sector including WasteAid UK’s annual fundraising walk, an award for Biffa’s RCV road safety campaign and a £115,000 fund for community waste prevention schemes in Merseyside and Halton.

Products with high recycled content could be given lower VAT rates to stimulate demand in secondary markets, following a new proposal by the European Commission, says FEAD.

Environmental Audit Committee Chair Mary Creagh spoke at the annual Kit Strange Memorial Lecture about the successes of the past year, the challenges ahead and the need to push the government for strong legislation on waste and resources.

Plastic waste and regenerative agriculture have been identified as two of seven ‘areas of dynamism’ shaping the future of sustainability, according to a new report by sustainability non-profit Forum for the Future.