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Working at ecoVeritas – what is the job of data analyst like?
Any positions currently being recruited at ecoVeritas can be found at http://www.ecoveritas.com/vacancies We are currently recruiting for a Data Analyst. Below, one of our team talks about what he enjoys about working for ecoVeritas. George Edwards, Data Analyst I started at ecoVeritas just after finishing a Master’s degree at the end of last summer. What…
Plastic Bottle waste in the UK – what to do?
British adults are suggested to use over 7.5 billion single-use plastic bottles each year, the majority of which are not recycled. One factor linked to this is the reluctance of consumers to obtain free tap water from businesses, especially when a purchase has not been made. Recent research into the provision, usage and perception of…
General Election 2017: what might it mean for recycling?
Following Theresa May’s unexpected call for a general election to take place in June 2017, the party manifestos for both major UK parties were released last week. These manifestos cover a huge range of issues affecting the UK, and one key issue of concern here at ecoVeritas is recycling and the environment. Polling suggests that…
Paint recycling in the UK: room for improvement?
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Product Stewardship regulations have been applied to a variety of different waste areas under a large range of different states. One waste product for which there are schemes globally, although not in the UK, is paint. EPR schemes for paint are in place in most states across Canada, providing free-to-use…
What does government do to tackle recycling?
In the last few months, the ecoVeritas blog has covered some high profile government efforts to reduce some of the environmental consequences of modern society. This blog has covered plastic bags in the UK and abroad, coffee cups, French bans on supermarket waste and some plastic items, and a plastic bag ban in Queensland, Australia. One theme which…
France Bans Plastic
In the last twelve months, French authorities have brought in bans on various different single use, “non-recyclable” plastic items, such as plastic bags and crockery. As of the 1st July 2016, all plastic carrier bags thinner than 50 microns, and with a volume of less than 10 litres, can no longer be given to consumers…
Recycling Targets and Rates in Europe
In light of the new recycling targets set out in the 2017 Spring Budget, a comparison of recycling in the UK with the rest of Europe feels appropriate. This posts looks at the Recycling targets and rates across Europe and then focusses on two countries. Each country is free to choose how they act upon the…
Petition for Non-recyclable Packaging Legislation Rejected by UK Government
A cross-party panel of MPs has rejected a petition calling for a ban on all non-recyclable packaging. The petition, which garnered over 83,000 signatures, indicates that 1.5 million tonnes of plastic packaging waste is not recycled each year, instead ending up in landfill or waterways. It also suggests that the UK recycles 64% of all packaging…
UK Government Publishes Recycling Targets for 2020
As part of the Spring Budget 2017, the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, has revealed the 2020 recycling targets for all packaging materials. This follows on from the 2016 Spring Budget, in which targets for glass and plastic recycling were announced. These targets are displayed in Table 1 below. No specific targets for 2018 and 2019 have yet…
Global Carrier Bag Interventions
Many countries across the world have been working towards reducing the impact of carrier bags over the past 20 years and these methods have been met with varying success. There are three main strategies that countries have implemented as approaches to try and reduce the volume of carrier bags being used: bag fees at the…