Waste

Government steps up purge of single-use plastic

Government steps up purge of single-use plastic
New proposals to ban plates, cutlery and cups may seem like an easy win for ministers, but the arguments over plastic bans will roll on. David Burrows reports. Single-use plastic plates, cutlery and polystyrene cups are among the items that could be banned in England as part of a public consultation due to be launched…
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Facing up to food waste

Facing up to food waste
Mandatory reporting is on the cards but is now the right time to force foodservice businesses to publish their data? David Burrows reports. The consultation on the mandatory reporting of food waste for businesses was due in 2019. Two years on and it’s yet to appear as industry continues to reel from the impacts of…
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PLASTICS PACKAGE: Cup collection scheme kicks charges into touch

PLASTICS PACKAGE: Cup collection scheme kicks charges into touch
Spring has brought two new consultations on EPR and DRS. There are 495 pages. Have you read them yet? Two new packaging consultations finally landed on Wednesday: one on extended producer responsibility (EPR) and the other on deposit return schemes (DRS). These will “boost recycling, tackle plastic pollution and reduce litter”, the government said. There…
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Businesses unite to tackle waste

Businesses unite to tackle waste
Food and catering businesses have thrown their weight behind the first ever food waste action week in an effort to raise awareness of the link between food waste and climate change. Part of WRAP’s Love Food Hate Waste campaign, the week of activities aims to help people make the connection between household food waste and…
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PLASTICS PACKAGE: WHAT IS PLASTIC?

PLASTICS PACKAGE: WHAT IS PLASTIC?
This month’s Package is considering a rebrand as the battle over definitions gets dirty. By David Burrows There’s a bit of a to-do going on in Brussels currently as the Single-use Plastics (SUP) Directive is unpacked and picked through. “… it seems that the intent of the directive is now at serious risk of being…
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Irish FSA gives green light to reusables

Irish FSA gives green light to reusables
New food safety guidance in Ireland suggests adopting single-use cups and containers could create a false sense of security among food businesses. By David Burrows. Could switching from reusable to disposable packaging increase the risk of spreading coronavirus? Updated guidance published by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland suggests it’s possible. The FSAI has said…
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PLASTICS PACKAGE: Here’s to proper coffee in proper cups

PLASTICS PACKAGE: Here’s to proper coffee in proper cups
French law bans disposables for dining-in. New warning labels for single-use cups. The cup LCA that sucked people in. And the sexy sterility of plastic packaging. As the UK Government stresses over how to safely reopen the hospitality sector next month, the newspapers are brimming with images of Europeans enjoying café dehors in the sunshine.…
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PLASTICS PACKAGE: Cup confusion reigns as more cafés reopen

PLASTICS PACKAGE: Cup confusion reigns as more cafés reopen
Coffee shops have been left baffled by the advice regarding acceptance of reusable cups, while exclusive research shows consumers haven’t totally bought into the pandemic positivity around single-use packaging. By David Burrows. “There is government advice not to accept any reusable cups for fear of virus transmission and this seems likely to last for some…
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The last straw?

The last straw?
Bans on plastic are simply sucking businesses towards alternatives. Whether these are recycled doesn’t seem to matter to ministers or brands. But it certainly should, says David Burrows. In three weeks’ time a ban on plastic straws (and drinks stirrers) will come into force. Or will it? Footprint revealed in January that Defra had been…
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