Haringey issued £1.3m in fly-tipping and littering fines last year
Haringey Council issued 2,554 fines for fly-tipping and littering totalling £1,393,350 between April 2024 and March 2025. A recent survey by the council found overwhelming support for stricter measures to tackle fly-tipping and littering. It revealed that 96% of residents were in favour of imposing fines on fly-tippers, while 94% supported penalties for littering and dog fouling. Local businesses and community organisations also voiced their concerns, with 83% backing fines to combat fly-tipping. Following this, the council said it deployed an additional 15 environmental enforcement officers as part of its existing team to combat fly-tipping and littering. Commenting on the announcement, councillor Seema Chandwani, Cabinet Member for Tackling Inequality…
Veolia launches new 25,000-per-year Hazardous Waste Facility
Operations begin at Veolia’s new 25,000 tonnes per annum Hazardous Waste Transfer Station in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The facility will serve the chemical, agrochemical, pharmaceutical and petrochemical industries in the region. UK resource management company Veolia says the facility will provide the full range of recycling and treatment options for hazardous waste. Veolia already operates seven existing hazardous waste transfer stations and supporting treatment infrastructure in the UK. The new site houses a new laboratory for analysing and identifying wastes, which will segregate each item based on potential hazards and physical and chemical properties. After analysis, the waste streams will go on to the appropriate treatment. By using the latest technologies…
65% of Brits says Easter eggs are excessively packaged
People in Britain are expected to eat 123 million eggs this Easter as 65% say that Easter eggs are excessively packaged, according to new research from DS Smith. The research, which surveyed 2,000 adults across the UK, found that the average adult receives three chocolate eggs each Easter, which generates an estimated 8,000 tonnes of packaging every year. Sustainable packaging company DS Smith commissioned the research to understand the scale of packaging waste generated each Easter. The research found that while 89% of people in Britain recycle the cardboard boxes Easter eggs are packaged in, 36% say they throw the egg’s foil in a refuse bin and 17% don’t…
Liz Parkes MBE appointed as CIWM Junior Vice President
CIWM (Chartered Institution of Wastes Management) has announced the election of Liz Parkes MBE as Junior Vice President. Parkes will formally take over the role from Vicki Hughes, who will become Senior Vice President, at the CIWM presidential inauguration event, to be held at the House of Commons in June 2025. Parkes is the Deputy Director of Climate Change, Chemicals and Markets at the Environment Agency. With an extensive background in environmental management, CIWM says she has played a “pivotal role” in working with government to shape future regulatory interventions. Liz Parkes called the appointment a “great honour”. Parkes has been a trustee of CIWM since 2021 and was…
Why harnessing net zero means finding a common language
Sam Reeve, CEO at Resource Futures, explains the importance of how the resource and wastes sector communicates its role in the net zero transition. The resources and waste sector is facing a pivotal moment. Whilst decarbonisation is driving major changes within the sector, it is also driving other sectors to engage more with resources and waste as they seek to bridge the gap to net zero. As solutions for energy, transport, and estates become widely adopted, the next phase of decarbonisation will focus attention on food and material resources. Our sector’s expertise will be essential to delivering this transition, but only if we can communicate the value we can…
How to tackle energy inefficiency through circular renovations
Fabrizio Leonforte, Associate Professor at Politecnico di Milano, explains how RE-SKIN is using circular renovations to improve energy efficiency in the built environment. Our buildings need a serious upgrade to keep up with our changing planet. Winters are colder, summers are hotter, and outdated housing just can’t keep up. The future of sustainable living demands smarter designs, cutting-edge materials, and game-changing technologies to make buildings more energy-efficient, comfortable, and resilient. But what if the solution to this pressing problem lies not in the new, but in the sustainable renovation of existing buildings? What is at stake? With climate change driving increasingly extreme temperatures, energy poverty is becoming a year-round…
Circular economy in action: Paving the path to sustainability
The circular economy is no longer a theory, there are many examples of how it is changing the world right now. Below are six fascinating examples of the circular economy in action. The concept of a circular economy has rapidly moved from the margins to the mainstream, becoming essential to addressing global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion. As Europe and the UK position themselves at the forefront of this transformation, practical examples are emerging across various sectors, demonstrating significant environmental and economic benefits. In March 2020, the European Commission adopted the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP), an integral component of the European Green Deal. This…
Can we reach our big circular economy goals by thinking small?
Associate Member of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management Nick Noble, DanuRobotics, explains how thinking smaller can acheive bigger results in the circular economy. Too much domestic and commercial waste is burned or landfilled, while consumers stubbornly recycle less than 50%. The waste industry is getting more efficient and there are successes but are we making the progress to a circular economy fast enough? 2025 is a big year for regulatory disruption so perhaps our industry should also think differently by looking outside the sector for inspiration. What is the problem? Most MRFs employ manual workers for quality control picking, Noble writes. Most materials recovery facilities (MRFs) employ manual…
Environment Agency announces board reshuffle
The Environment Agency has appointed a new Chair of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee to its board alongside three reappointments. Jon Watts has been appointed as a Non-Executive Board Member, as well as Chair of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee. His appointment began on 1 April 2025 and will run for three years until 31 March 2028. The Committee provides oversight of the Environment Agency’s risk controls and governance. Watts is a trustee of the Eden Trust and chair of the Finance Audit and Risk Committee. His experience includes being regional Chief Financial Officer of Unilever Latin America, Director of Finance and Control at SABMiller, and global…
Viridor announces £75,000 in funding for reuse organisations
Viridor announces £75,000 in funding for Library of Things, Reuse Network, and Sheltersuit UK. Through its We Share Community Fund, Viridor will provide £75,000 to the three organisations over the next financial year. Commenting on the funding announcement, Kevin Bradshaw, CEO of Viridor, said: “These organisations reflect Viridor’s mission to create a world where nothing goes to waste and I am delighted that Viridor is supporting this important sector – as we work together to drive meaningful impact on people, the planet, and the way we think about resource use.” Viridor has allocated £35,000 of the funding to Reuse Network, which it says will use the funding to provide digital…
