Recycling news: 2025

Industry news The 2025 Deepnest report: What waste data revealed about recyclability Over the last twelve months, circularity became a financial imperative for some of the world’s largest brands, retailers and packaging producers. In the UK, EU and USA, extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes came into effect, directly linking recyclable packaging to profitability. Greyparrot blog · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news Defra Secretary summoned to Lords committee over waste crime response The Secretary of State for Defra has been invited to give evidence to a House of Lords committee following what peers described as a “deeply disappointing” response to their inquiry into waste crime. Baroness Sheehan, Chair of the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee, confirmed she had written to Emma Reynolds on Monday … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news A Practical Guide to Food Waste Packaging: What Businesses Need to Know Food packaging plays a major role in workplace waste, but not everything that looks recyclable actually is. This guide explains how different packaging materials behave in the waste system, how contamination affects recycling, and what businesses can do to make smarter, more sustainable choices. Bywaters · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news IRT webinar review: Accreditation schemes focus on trust, data and AI-driven grading Key takeaways from the latest IRT webinar: accreditation schemes need gated entry, independent auditing and measurable lifecycle performance, while AI image-led grading and stronger data standards are emerging as the bridge between recycler processes and buyer expectations. Auto Recycling World · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news Unlocking the potential of lead batteries A recent conference on lead batteries, organised by the India Lead Zinc Development Association (ILZDA), brought together 200 delegates from India and overseas.The gathering assessed the current state of the lead battery sector and mapped out opportunities in emerging applications such as energy storage, electric mobility and environmental protection.Across the event, 32 technical presentations… BEST Magazine (Batteries & Energy Storage Technology) · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news Recycle festive tech this Christmas and help stop battery and electrical fires Local waste officials are calling on people to help prevent fires by recycling their broken festive lights, batteries and other FastTech gifts this Christmas. Authorities across the Liverpool City Region are working with Recycle Your Electricals to encourage residents to join the ‘Stop Battery Fires’ campaign, which sets out to encourage the recycling of batteries - Continue Reading Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news Incineration in Scotland has increased by 354% since 2011 Scotland’s environmental watchdog is calling for urgent action to prevent an overcapacity of waste incineration that campaigners warn threatens climate goals, public health and the circular economy. Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS) has reached a formal agreement with the government, which has committed to implementing a series of remedial measures. This follows an ESS investigation trigge… Air Quality News · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news USABC launches nine EV battery cell RFPIs The United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC), part of the United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR), has announced nine requests for proposal information (RFPIs) to advance EV battery cell technology.Issued under a cooperative agreement worth nearly $90 million with the U.S. Department of Energy, including $60 million in federal funding, the initiative seeks developers… BEST Magazine (Batteries & Energy Storage Technology) · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news Lords write to environment secretary over “complacent” response to waste crime inquiry The chair of the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee has written to the environment secretary expressing “deep disappointment” at the government’s response to its waste-crime inquiry. Circular Online (CIWM) · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news North Wales firm fined for running waste wood site without permit A North Wales company has been fined after operating a waste wood site without the required environmental permit over a number of years. Following an investigation by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Platts Agricultural was sentenced at Caernarfon Crown Court on 11 December 2025 after pleading guilty in July 2025 to operating a regulated waste wood … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news Welfare worries linked to human health The inaugural factory farming index lays bare the environmental, welfare and health impacts of intensive livestock production. By David Burrows. Tome for change. Produced by World Animal Protection, an NGO, and involving Joseph Poore, a highly-regarded researcher in sustainable agriculture at the University of Oxford, the factory farming index is presented as a “case for changing the way […] Footprint Media (foodservice sustainability) · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news Thousands of Christmas trees to be reused and recycled in North Somerset festive scheme North Somerset Council and Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm are aiming to repurpose up to 4,000 Christmas trees this winter, expanding a long-running partnership designed to reduce seasonal waste and support environmental and community initiatives. Thousands of Christmas trees are set to be given a second life in North Somerset this winter as the local […] Circular Online (CIWM) · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news Finnish researchers develop cyanide-free method to recycle silver using light and organic acids A new technique developed at the University of Helsinki uses fatty acids, hydrogen peroxide and visible light to dissolve and recover silver from waste, offering a safer alternative to conventional cyanide-based recycling. Researchers in Finland have demonstrated a new method for recycling silver that avoids the use of cyanide and other harsh chemicals, potentially […] Circular Online (CIWM) · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news UK beauty brands invited to join nationwide take-back scheme for hard-to-recycle packaging Partnership between the British Beauty Council and MYGroup aims to capture cosmetic packaging not handled by kerbside collections. Circular Online (CIWM) · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news ASAŞ acquires Eurofoil France - Aluminium International Today Aluminium International Today · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news FOCUS ON II: Evaluating Shifting Dynamics Across Booming APAC market - Tissue World Magazine Tissue World Magazine · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news TWM Editorial Calendar 2026 - Tissue World Magazine Tissue World Magazine · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news Amcor collaborates with industry leaders for Danish food packaging recycling project INCPEN (Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment) · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news New report sizes up EV brake and tyre emissions A newly published report by consultancy firm Ricardo, for the UK Department of Transport (DfT), has found that levels of PM2.5 from tyre wear and brake wear, are significantly reduced through a simple switch to (often inexpensive) brake pads and new braking technology. With electric vehicles (EVs) being heavier than internal combustion engine vehicles, it […] Envirotec Magazine · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news UK e-waste data trends 2018-2024 - Material Focus Material Focus · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news A season of solidarity: eight projects empowering people this Christmas From lending libraries to children’s charities, grassroots community groups are stepping up this Christmas Positive News · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news High-resolution assessment can overcome rooftop deployment bottlenecks, says new report A new set of reports appears to highlight a significant opportunity for the vast untapped rooftop potential that exists in the UK. University of Southampton spin-off company Absolar has published a nationwide set of Solar Performance Wrap Reports for its customers, which the group says demonstrate how high precision solar modelling and installation are transforming […] Envirotec Magazine · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news ‘Reduce, restore, replace’ could be a new mantra for farms This post is by Tom Ash, Senior Policy Officer at Wildlife and Countryside Link. Reducing our use of virgin resources is essential to meet climate and biodiversity targets: resource extraction and processing is responsible for 55 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions and 90 per […] Green Alliance blog (Inside Track) · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news UV-readable recycling labels launch A UV-readable label solution allows brands and retailers to verify recycling at barcode level. This kind of functionality was already provided by Polytag’s UV tags, which could be attached to product packaging, but now the solution is embedded directly into the label artwork. Brought to market by a partnership between Interket UK, a specialist in […] Envirotec Magazine · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news Environmental Standards Scotland reaches agreement with the Scottish Government on action to prevent excess incineration capacity Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS) has reached agreement with the Scottish Government on a series of actions that will bring clarity over Scotland’s future incineration capacity needs and ensure that consideration is given to them when determining applications for increasing incineration capacity in Scotland. The environmental governance body said these actions will help ensure that Scotlan… Envirotec Magazine · 16 Dec 2025 Industry news UK Tosses 1.3M Single-Use Vapes Weekly, Recycling Urged - Material Focus Material Focus · 15 Dec 2025 Industry news Salvation Army Trading Company suspends HWRC textile collections MRW Salvation Army Trading Company suspends HWRC textile collections Company says decision reflects significant wider market challenges and concerns about pricing information and the costs of handling increased level of materials being donated Salvation Army Trading Company suspends HWRC textile collections Neil Merrett MRW (Materials Recycling World) · 15 Dec 2025 Industry news Downlight scores TM66 rating of ‘excellent’ A downlighting from Lumenloop has scored a TM66 rating of 2.5, putting it in the excellent category. The Eco 78 […] Recolight · 15 Dec 2025 Industry news Community group pioneers LED lighting and solar as a service A South London community group is transforming how schools and community buildings access renewable energy through an innovative ‘lighting and […] Recolight · 15 Dec 2025 Industry news Scolmore achieves Silver EcoVadis rating Lighting and electrical equipment manufacturer the Scolmore Group has been awarded a a Silver Sustainability Medal by EcoVadis, an upgrade […] Recolight · 15 Dec 2025 Industry news Man arrested, vehicle seized in Lancashire waste crime operation MRW Man arrested, vehicle seized in Lancashire waste crime operation JUWC involved in investigations across the North-West as unnamed man taken into custody and HGV confiscated Man arrested, vehicle seized in Lancashire waste crime operation MRW Reporter MRW (Materials Recycling World) · 15 Dec 2025 Industry news Municipal waste to landfill drops by a fifth in Northern Ireland MRW Municipal waste to landfill drops by a fifth in Northern Ireland Landfill rates continue to fall as local authorities increase use of energy from waste disposal, while national recycling rates remain unchanged Municipal waste to landfill drops by a fifth in Northern Ireland MRW Reporter MRW (Materials Recycling World) · 15 Dec 2025 Industry news Guest post: How the Greenland ice sheet fared in 2025 Greenland is closing in on three decades of continuous annual ice loss, with 1995-96 being... Carbon Brief · 15 Dec 2025 Industry news The world will soon be losing 3000 glaciers every year Under current climate policies, 79 per cent of the world’s glaciers will disappear by 2100, endangering the water supply for 2 billion people and raising sea levels dramatically New Scientist — Environment · 15 Dec 2025 Industry news OPINION: From waste to wonder – the cost saving magic of composting in schools Rachel Phillips-Street, Senior Project Coordinator for the Shropshire Master Composters at Garden Organic, explains the wider impact of its gardening and composting work with schools. OPINION: We all know the stats around food waste: more than a third of what we grow ends up in the bin. And that can seem like a meaningless figure … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 15 Dec 2025 Industry news ‘Growing focus on resilience across the built environment’, finds UKGBC report The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) published its Trends Report 2025 on 9 December, detailing major shifts that shaped the built environment this year along with key themes to look out for in 2026. Drawing on insights from sustainability and innovation experts across industry as well as UKGBC topic leads, the third edition of the […] Envirotec Magazine · 15 Dec 2025 Industry news WasteAid and IOM Launch Groundbreaking Waste-to-Use Pilot in South Sudan In the heart of South Sudan, where communities continue to recover from conflict and flooding, a new initiative is turning one of the region’s greatest challenges into a source of hope. WasteAid, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), has launched a pioneering waste-to-use pilot project, funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, […] WasteAid · 15 Dec 2025 Industry news Dundee-based greywater recycling startup secures £350k Dundee-based water technology firm Cascade Water Products, has secured angel investment of up to £350,000 towards helping commercialise its innovative micro-greywater recycling system. Cascade says the investment, from a group of European and American investors, will enable it to accelerate production and bring its technology to market, initially targeting holiday resorts, hospitality venues, h… Envirotec Magazine · 15 Dec 2025 Industry news Governments have a golden opportunity to reverse neglect of UK protected nature sites This post is by Meriel Harrison, senior policy officer at the RSPB. Earlier this month the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) published a landmark report. It laid bare the magnitude and extent of failures by successive governments to fulfil essential legal responsibilities to care for […] Green Alliance blog (Inside Track) · 15 Dec 2025 Industry news pEPR amendments progress through Parliament following Commons debate Amendments to the packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) scheme are continuing their passage through Parliament, with the regulations due to be debated in the House of Lords today (15 December 2025). The amendments were laid before Parliament in early November and have already been debated and approved in the House of Commons. pEPR in the … Read More letsrecycle.com News · 15 Dec 2025