The UK government is opposing new recycling targets set by the EU even though it pledged tp develop new targes and milestones themselves. The European parliament voted on a new target of 65% by 2035 which the UK refused saying meeting the target of 65% by 2030 would save around £10 billion in waste related costs.
Scientists at the University of California have developed a new recycling process that restores old lithium battery cathodes. Less than 5% of lithium batteries are recycled which means millions end up in landfill every year, the problem with this is the toxins it can release and also the supply of the precious metals used in batteries is dwindling fast.
64 Companies have signed a commitment which aims to tackle the amount of waste in the fashion and textile industry, the industry plans to concentrate on reselling more used garments and develop recycled textile fibres.
Coca-Cola recently have been put under pressure to help more with the reduction of plastic packaging in our oceans, the response has been positive with a platform called 'World Without Waste' which is the development of 100% recyclable packaging.
A French start up company called Terradona offers free gifts to people who sort their waste correctly, they have developed a smart box called Cliiink which attaches to the bin and gives them points when they put an item in the correct recycling bin which they then can redeem in various shops.
With the ban of importing of certain types of recyclable waste from China, the UK has had to rethink their strategy about they dispose of waste it creates, one of which is incineration. One of the main problems of this is the release of toxins and chemical gases if not properly controlled, but what exactly is incineration?
A show recently aired on the BBC exposed the illegal dumping of e-waste in developing countries like Ghana, many poor people work on dumps to make a living which includes the burning of waste in order to salvage precious metals, this can then cause health problems with the constant inhaling of toxic fumes. The illegal dumping of waste happens worldwide and not just waste sent from the UK.
Recycling the waste at its source is one of the viable options being put forward to combatting UK's litter problem, Axion has launched a design for recycling service which aims to produce packaging that is easier to recycle but still being able to protect the products. The UK exported 70% of its plastic packaging waste mainly to the far east and with China issuing a ban other options are going to have to be considered.
Why not try the January recycling challenge, especially over the festive period we generate more glass recycling, but are we making the effort in which to recycle it especially when it does not lose its purity.
Bristol Council hopes to increase the recycling rates across the city by circulating information to residents the truth about waste which would hopefully put some myths in the area to bed. A local councillor has admitted when she moved to the area she was confused about recycling and it was revealed that residents also feel the same.