The UK’s recycling rates are around 70% lower than in leading Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) countries with return rates exceeding 90% such as Germany, Finland and Norway. Financially incentivising recycling and reducing waste is important, but our end goal must be a reuse, not throwaway, economy. A DRS that includes glass is key. Glass is infinitely recyclable (although currently energy intensive). Inclusion of glass, as seen in Wales’ proposed model, helps improve resource re

The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is an environmental policy that will tackle litter and pollution, reducing the environmental impacts of plastics and leading us towards a circular economy. Whilst the UK’s plans are still faltering, other countries are showing us how it’s done. Germany has an impressive 98% return rate for drinks containers! Consumers can return a wide range of containers, including plastic bottles, cans and glass bottles for financial reward. Norway’s DRS was

The ‘Global Plastic Laws’ database. The Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC) is a non-profit communications and advocacy organisation focused on the impacts of plastic on the environment, wildlife, the climate, human health, and social justice. Recognising the global scale of the plastic problem, the PPC launched the Global Plastic Laws database, which provides extensive information about local, national, and international legislation. While policies are debated and determined

For years, companies making misleading environmental claims faced little more than bad press. A campaign group would raise the alarm, a brand would issue a careful non-apology, and the cycle would begin again. In 2025, that changed. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 came fully into force on 6 April 2025, giving the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) the power to impose fines of up to 10% of a company's global annual turnover for misleading environme

If there’s one thing to take away from the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 2025) and the ocean plastics crisis, it’s that solutions do exist, but that they’re not scaling, not enforced and not shared equally. Cleanup technology may help in pollution hotspot areas, but they treat symptoms, not causes and are cost intensive. Recycling has a role, but its effectiveness is vastly overstated and most plastics are actually not recyclable to date. Individual actions - whilst

October 2025 saw the 13th annual Great Global Nurdle Hunt, a citizen science project with over 1,500 volunteers in 25 countries searching their shorelines for nurdles. Nurdles are the pre-production building blocks of most plastic products. They’re lentil-shaped microplastic pellets, ~2-3mm in diameter, which are melted down in plastic production. Unfortunately, nurdles have found their way into every corner of the world, with this year's hunt reporting that 92% of participat

The 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) brought ocean issues back into the global spotlight. Delegates from over 100 countries convened to reaffirm commitments to SDG 14: Life Below Water, address overfishing and clamp down on marine pollution. The tone was urgent, the diversity of stakeholders impressive and the pledges ambitious - but the gap between promises and action remains as wide as ever, with a clear lack of dedicated funding to prevent plastic and microplast

On December 8th, 2023, an environmental crisis occurred off the northern coast of Spain when a cargo ship lost part of its load. In an alarming incident, an estimated 25 tonnes of plastic pellets, commonly referred to as nurdles, were released into the sea. This event elicited concern within the local community and renewed discussion about the environmental risks linked to plastic pollution. Nurdles are small, lentil-sized plastic pellets that serve as the starting material f

In 2016, headlines proclaimed that by 2050, plastic in the ocean could outweigh fish. The science behind this claim is weak - estimating biomass is notoriously difficult - but the message is no less important. The real issue isn’t a race between fish and plastic. It’s the failure of governments, industries and global systems to prevent known harm. At the 2025 UN Ocean Conference (UNOC), governments once again pledged action on marine pollution. But critics, including ClientEa

You have swapped your plastic bags and ditched the straws. But there is a source of pollution you cannot opt out of, and it’s happening on every road in Britain, every single day. Although we call them rubber, modern vehicle tyres are actually made from a complex blend of synthetic materials, chemicals and polymers. Every time a car pulls away from the lights, it leaves something behind; not just exhaust fumes, but thousands of microscopic plastic particles, shed from the tyr

You have dutifully cleaned, dried, and separated your household plastics. When you do your weekly shop, you take your plastic bags and chuck them into the supermarket’s soft plastics recycling bin. You have done your bit. But where do your used plastics go? Despite your best efforts, your household recycling may end up in an illegal dump on the other side of the world. The UK exports 9.25 million tonnes of plastic waste every year, making it the sixth largest exporter in the

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will reach the report stage in the House of Lords on 24th February. Every day, an estimated 3 million cigarette filters are littered in the UK. This means that since the first reading of the Bill in parliament on the 20th March 2024, approximately 1.8 billion cigarette filters have been dropped onto UK streets and into waterways. With this bill the UK government could reduce plastic pollution and improve public health by answering the call from re

Did you know about this essential resource: The Global Plastic Laws ? The Global Plastic Laws is a comprehensive database containing accurate data on legislation passed relating to plastic in different parts of the world. This database is global, publicly available and free to use. It is a resource library designed for everyone who needs accurate, up-to-date and detailed information on legislation relating to plastic. It will be important for individuals working in policy-ma

Every day, we’re surrounded by plastic—it's in our homes, streets, and oceans. The global community has recognized the need for a change,...

Increasingly microplastics are finding their way into our wastewater, and whilst the fact that this may lead to plastics in our oceans is...

It was over one year ago that a train in East Palestine, Ohio derailed and caused an explosion, waking residents in the small town. The...

There can be no doubt that plastic places an enormous burden on our planet. Plastic pollution damages habitats and ecosystems, reducing their ability to adapt to climate change, putting people’s livelihoods and well-being at risk. Millions of animals and birds die from entanglement, or starvation after ingesting plastic debris. Microplastics , tiny plastic particles linked to serious health problems, have been found in various human organs, including the placenta of newborn b

With carbon capture technologies increasingly touted by global leaders, we are placing undue faith in technology that cannot save us?...

Described as the most important green deal since the Paris Accords, 180 nations have taken key steps towards agreeing a legally binding...

Despite its 'pristine' public image, Switzerland’s environmental record turns out to have more holes than one of its famous cheeses....