Industry news

Industry news The month in review – April 2026 Given the geopolitical circumstances, the Aldersgate Group has continued... Aldersgate Group · 1 May 2026 Industry news Cullen unveils £5m expansion of Glasgow base amidst increasing demand CULLEN has responded to growing demand with a £5 million investment to expand its Glasgow manufacturing operations. Currently producing around 500 million products annually, the business is targeting a doubling of output through continued investment in capacity and expansion into new markets. The investment in its Glasgow site has already seen increased output as demand […] Packaging Scotland · 1 May 2026 Industry news EXCLUSIVE: Hundreds caught in Simpler Recycling rule breach checks The Environment Agency (EA) has issued hundreds of advisory notices to businesses suspected of breaching Simpler Recycling requirements. According to industry figures seen by letsrecycle.com, 273 companies were anonymously reported to the regulator via its Simpler Recycling non-compliance reporting tool. Of these, 232 were deemed to fall within the scope of the regulations, and therefore … Read… letsrecycle.com News · 1 May 2026 Industry news Saica Group’s £10m warehouse project becomes operational Saica Pack has announced the launch of its new warehouse in Hartlepool, County Durham. Packaging News (UK) · 1 May 2026 Industry news Firefighters tackle 200 tonnes of waste in Port Talbot fire A large fire involving hundreds of tonnes of waste at a recycling site in Port Talbot is now “deescalating”, with crews expected to remain on site for several days to fully extinguish hotspots. Emergency services were called to the blaze at AWD Group’s yard on Dock Road yesterday (30 April 2026), where approximately 200 tonnes … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 1 May 2026 Industry news ALDI BRINGS BACK FAN FAVOURITE MATCHA FOR JUST £1.49 • Hailed as a “favourite” by Aldi shoppers, Aldi’s Mokate Matcha Latte returns to the middle aisle from 7th May as part of the Taste of Asia range• Available in ‘Original’ and ‘Strawberry’ flavours, the Japanese-inspired drinks land as #Matcha continues to surge in popularity with over 4.3 million TikTok videos Calling all matcha lovers […] Aldi UK Press Centre · 1 May 2026 Industry news Macpac and Valpak to develop carbon tool Macpac has collaborated with Valpak to develop an in-house carbon calculator tool. Packaging News (UK) · 1 May 2026 Industry news Embedd founder: Be intentional about testing Michael Lazarenko is the co-founder of Embedd a platform that uses AI to convert semiconductor datasheets and documentation into structured, machine-readable models. In this week’s Founder in Five Q&A, Lazarenko discusses why running effective tests is vital, why founders always need to raise more capital than they think and the power of 10-minute naps. What one […] UKTN (UK Tech News) · 1 May 2026 Industry news UK’s DRS set for 20p deposit across all containers following studies A flat 20p deposit will be applied across all in-scope containers once the impending deposit return scheme (DRS) goes live in October 2027. Exchange for Change – the organisation behind Scotland, England, and Northern Ireland’s DRS – confirmed that the 20p deposit will be applied to all single-use drinks in PET plastic, steel, and aluminium […] Packaging Scotland · 1 May 2026 Industry news The FIFA World Cup 26™ Can Hunt - Coca-Cola Coca-Cola Great Britain media center · 1 May 2026 Industry news Fanta launches Dark Cherry variant and an on-pack gaming promotion Coca-Cola has unveiled a limited-edition Fanta Dark Cherry variant and an on-pack gaming promotion in partnership with Xbox. The activity marks Fanta’s first-ever global gaming campaign in the UK, in… Grocery Gazette · 1 May 2026 Industry news See It in Action: Access the Latest Recovery Innovations Live in Frankfurt Step onto the show floor in Frankfurt this June and you’ll hear it before you see it – the low hum of machinery, the movement of materials, the rhythm of industrial systems running in real time. Conveyors in motion. Sensors scanning. Metals separating. Batteries dismantled. Data destroyed. This is not theory. This is recovery – live. On 17–18 June 2026, Messe Frankfurt becomes the global meetin… MEM Magazine (Manufacturing & Engineering) · 1 May 2026 Industry news UK leads Europe in clean tech funding, report finds The UK clean tech sector has reclaimed its spot as the best funded in Europe, according to the findings of a new report. Research conducted by the group Cleantech for UK has found that funding for the sector reached £7.2bn in 2025, up significantly from the £5.6bn raised the previous year. This puts the UK […] UKTN (UK Tech News) · 1 May 2026 Industry news Bread Ahead Launches “The Future Bakers Project” On World Baking Day, much-loved London bakery and baking school Bread Ahead will officially launch The Future Bakers Project, a bold long-term initiative designed to teach one million children and young adults to bake for free over the next decade. Rooted in the belief that baking is more than a recipe – it is confidence, creativity, wellbeing and an essential life skill – the programme combine… MEM Magazine (Manufacturing & Engineering) · 1 May 2026 Industry news Will Colombia summit kick-start the end of the fossil fuel era? With progress at COP climate meetings stalling, 57 countries took part in the first of a new series of conferences aiming to develop road maps away from fossil fuels, but big emitters like China and the US were absent New Scientist — Environment · 1 May 2026 Industry news ALDI LAUNCHES NEW HIGH PROTEIN EGG BITES FOR JUST £1.99 High protein snack seekers needn’t look no further as Aldi introduces the NEW Crestwood Egg Bites (£1.99, 128g). Packed with flavour and protein, these egg bites are sure to become a staple in every shopping list. Available in stores from 29th April, the savoury bites are ideal for a pre-workout snack or quick breakfast bite […] Aldi UK Press Centre · 1 May 2026 Industry news Alexir Creative adds new Zünd cutter to meet future growth plans Alexir Partnership Group’ s packaging design agency Alexir Creative has invested in an additional Zünd S3 M-800 Digital Cutter to expand its white sampling and printed prototyping capacity. Packaging News (UK) · 1 May 2026 Industry news Solar installations hit 15-year high as Iran war drags on New government data shows that 27,000 solar installations were completed across the UK in March 2026 – the highest monthly figure since 2012. The surge brings the total number of solar installations nationwide to more than two million for the first time. The increase was driven mainly by rooftop solar, with two-thirds of new installations […] Air Quality News · 1 May 2026 Industry news Co-op reopens North Yorkshire store after renovation Co-op has reopened a store in the North Yorkshire Town of Haxby after a three-month investment programme to renovate the location. The convenience store is located in Ryedale Court, Haxby,… Grocery Gazette · 1 May 2026 Industry news McDonald’s UK names Stephen Graham as new voice of the brand McDonald’s UK had announced that Stephen Graham has been appointed as the new voice of the brand. Graham is set to succeed Dexter Fletcher, who has been a significant part… Grocery Gazette · 1 May 2026 Industry news The plastic that will self-destruct on command Researchers have created a new type of ‘living plastic’ capable of destroying itself when triggered, offering a potential solution to one of the world’s biggest waste problems: single-use plastics that linger in the environment for decades. The innovative material, developed by a team of scientists and reported in American Chemical Society journal, combines plastic with […] Environment Journal · 1 May 2026 Industry news Space intelligence group extends funding round to £9m Spaceflux, a London-based company providing governments and commercial operators with “space domain awareness” services has raised £3.5m in an extension to its seed round. Founded in 2022, Spaceflux operates a network of optical sensors across five continents that, combined with its AI intelligence platform Cortex, provides organisations such as the Ministry of Defence and UK […] UKTN (UK Tech News) · 1 May 2026 Industry news London’s unique charity-led restaurant gets a makeover A London restaurant employing people who have experienced homelessness has relaunched, with a MasterChef judge as chef Positive News · 1 May 2026 Industry news EXCLUSIVE: Circle-8 cancels plant order funded by £1.6m Innovate UK grant Circle-8 Textile Ecosystems has cancelled its order of an automated sorting line, for which it received funding through ACT UK. As it currently stands, there are no reported plans to return any of the grant offer which is thought to have totalled approximately £1.6 million – the highest amount awarded to any of the applicants. … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 1 May 2026 Industry news Sainsbury’s launches Nikka Whisky From The Barrel in UK first Japanese spirits brand Nikka Whisky is making its Sainsbury’s debut with the launch of its acclaimed Nikka Whisky From The Barrel expression. From this month, the whisky will be available… Grocery Gazette · 1 May 2026 Industry news Just Eat faces employment tribunal over courier worker status Just Eat will face an employment tribunal next week as more than 7,000 couriers challenge their classification as self-employed independent contractors. An employment status hearing is due to begin on… Grocery Gazette · 1 May 2026 Industry news Peroni brings Italian aperitivo installation to Covent Garden Peroni Nastro Azzurro has launched an Italian Renaissance-inspired installation in London’s Covent Garden Piazza as it looks to tap into growing UK interest in early-evening socialising. The premium lager brand… Grocery Gazette · 1 May 2026 Industry news High street suffers worst April sales performance in a decade UK high street retailers suffered their weakest April sales performance in a decade, as shoppers continued to rein in discretionary spending. Total like-for-like sales across discretionary categories fell 1.6 per… Grocery Gazette · 1 May 2026 Industry news Iran war fertiliser disruption could push up food bills, Yara boss warns Disruption to global fertiliser supplies caused by the war in Iran could put further pressure on food prices and hit poorer countries hardest, according to the boss of one of… Grocery Gazette · 1 May 2026 Industry news Landmark renters’ rights reforms come into force across England - Public Sector Executive Public Sector Executive · 1 May 2026 Industry news Battery first, people second: The accessibility cost of EV design - Engineering and Technology Magazine E&T Magazine (IET) · 1 May 2026 Industry news Partnership in Safety: Voluntary Guidelines for Paddleboard Retailers - British Retail Consortium British Retail Consortium news · 1 May 2026 Industry news Sandwiches break out of the lunchbox as UK demand soars Sandwich consumption is set for renewed growth as shoppers increasingly turn to the category beyond lunchtime, new Délifrance research suggests. The bakery supplier’s latest report, Prove It: The trends driving… Grocery Gazette · 1 May 2026 Industry news Unilever warns of price rises as Iran war drives up costs Unilever has warned it will raise prices this year as higher-than-expected costs linked to the Iran war put pressure on the consumer goods giant. The London-listed maker of Dove, Axe… Grocery Gazette · 1 May 2026 Industry news Artificial light at night disrupts riverbank food webs Artificial light at night is reshaping the flow of food between rivers and their banks, independent of other environmental pressures, according to a new study from Germany. Researchers from RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau conducted a six-week experiment using 16 artificial streams with adjacent ecosystems. They exposed some setups to artificial light at night using LED strips that […] Environment Journal · 1 May 2026 Industry news ‘Dodgy shops’ spreading across UK high streets, Trading Standards warns Organised crime groups are believed to be operating through large numbers of vape stores, convenience shops and fast food takeaways across the UK, according to Trading Standards. A new report… Grocery Gazette · 1 May 2026 Industry news South East Water chair Chris Train resigns with immediate effect South East Water has announced the immediate resignation of its Independent Non-Executive Chair, Chris Train, following recent board discussions over the company’s recovery and transformation plans. In a statement issued […] Water Magazine · 1 May 2026 Industry news MPs have no confidence in South East Water’s leadership to turn failing company around The Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee has today (1 May 2026) declared it has no confidence in the Chief Executive or Board of South East Water (SEW) to […] Water Magazine · 1 May 2026 Industry news WICS closes Water Plus investigation without enforcement action The Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS) has concluded an investigation into Water Plus Limited and decided not to take formal enforcement action. The regulator said the investigation formed part […] Water Magazine · 1 May 2026 Industry news United Utilities to raise £800m in equity to fund increased AMP8 investment programme United Utilities Group plc has announced plans to raise approximately £800 million through an equity placing, alongside a retail offer and a small director subscription, as it seeks to fund […] Water Magazine · 1 May 2026