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.

Chinese restrictions on imports of 24 grades of solid waste were adopted on Monday and are set to cause significant discomfort in the UK recycling sector, with the Recycling Association saying that stockpiled plastics are already building up in members’ yards.

Two former members of the Green Investment Bank’s management team are among the names on the Queen’s New Year Honours list for 2018.

The use of light detection and ranging data could help Environment Agency officers spot the sudden environment changes that may indicate illegal waste dumping.

The UK needs a nationwide deposit return scheme for plastic bottles and overhaul producer responsibility rules if it is to turn back the tide on plastic waste entering the environment, according to Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee.

The packaging industry is celebrating after EU negotiations ruled that packaging would retain its Internal Market legal base, making it harder for national governments to introduce unilateral bans for environmental reasons.

The Government Chief Scientific Advisor, Sir Mark Walport, has warned about the sheer bulk of waste being produced in the UK before emphasising the opportunities for generating value from this waste and creating a more prosperous society.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove has reportedly laid out plans to make recycling easier for families by requiring greater consistency in recycling collections across the UK, as well as reducing the total amount of plastic used in the UK, as part of a four-point plan.

Agreement on legislation designed to make Europe more resource efficient has been welcomed by industry groups, but with the caveat that reduced ambition in EU plans risks slowing down the transition to a circular economy.