News Roundup 🗞️
EU Plastics Recycling Industry Warns of Imminent Collapse
The European plastics recycling sector is in crisis. Falling demand, rising costs, and low-priced imports are pushing facilities to the brink. Industry leaders warn that by the end of 2025, Europe could lose at least 1 million tonnes of recycling capacity. Alasdair links this to the closures we’ve already seen in the UK — particularly in plastics reprocessing — calling it a worrying trend that risks undoing progress on circularity.
Plastic Energy Produces First Recycled Oil at Dutch Plant
Some brighter news: Plastic Energy has successfully produced its first batch of pyrolysis oil (TACOIL™) in the Netherlands. Made from hard-to-recycle post-consumer plastics, this recycled oil can be fed back into the system as a raw material for new plastics — displacing virgin fossil resources. Jane highlights how valuable this is: turning otherwise unrecyclable waste into a feedstock that closes the loop. Full commercial production is expected later this year.
QMRE Secures Permit for Plastic-to-Oil Operations in Kent
Meanwhile, QM Recycling Energy has received approval for a Small Waste Incineration Plant (SWIP) permit in Kent. The facility will convert up to five tonnes of plastic waste a day into oil, using similar technology to Plastic Energy but on a smaller scale. Both projects are promising signs that new recovery technologies could help tackle plastics that would otherwise be landfilled or burned.
DEFRA to Reform Waste Carrier, Broker and Dealer System
DEFRA has announced big changes to the way waste carriers, brokers, and dealers are regulated, moving towards permits and exemptions rather than simple registration. The aim is to tackle waste crime, but Alasdair cautions against painting the whole industry as “criminal.” Most businesses are competing with the real offenders, not acting like them. Both he and Jane stress the need to focus enforcement on true illegal operators — and to better communicate to the public why certain changes (like new bulky uplift rules) are happening.
Topic: Your Waste, Your Responsibility♻️
This week Alasdair and Jane tackle litter head-on: why our public spaces end up strewn after sunny weekends, and why “the bins were full” isn’t an excuse. The heart of it is responsibility. UK waste law sets a clear duty of care (Environmental Protection Act 1990): from the moment you create waste until it’s finally dealt with, you’re responsible for making sure it’s managed properly. That applies to everyone — households, businesses, contractors — not just councils.
On the everyday level, that means simple choices: if a bin’s full, take it to the next one or take it home. Don’t balance bottles on top (where gulls, wind and rain turn “tidy” stacks into a mess). And don’t kid yourself that leaving items beside a bin is helpful — it’s still littering.
The same duty of care bites much harder when you’re renovating at home. If your builder’s “mate with a van” dumps your bathroom in a lay-by and the bags contain your details, it’s your problem. Always ask where your waste is going, who’s carrying it, and get proof. In Scotland they must be registered with SEPA; in England, with the Environment Agency. If a price sounds too good to be true, it probably ends with fly-tipping and a knock on your door.
The scale is grim: Scotland sees around 250 million visible items of litter each year and tens of thousands of fly-tipping incidents, costing the public tens of millions to clean up. Penalties exist — £80 for littering and £500 for fly-tipping in Scotland — and the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 now allows civil penalties for litter thrown from vehicles to be issued to the keeper, closing the “wasn’t me driving” loophole. But enforcement only works if it’s used.
The takeaway? Leave no trace. If a bin is full, carry your rubbish to the next one or take it home. Flatten coffee cups, stack containers, and compact waste to leave space for others. Responsibility doesn’t end when you drop it — it’s on all of us to cut the 250 million items blighting Scotland each year.
Rubbish Rant: Batteries Burning the Sector 🔥
This week’s rant comes after yet another fire at a Scottish waste site, this time at a site operated by Cireco. While the cause is still under investigation, it highlights a growing crisis: lithium-ion batteries in the waste stream. Across the UK, an estimated four refuse collection vehicles catch fire every single day, often triggered by hidden batteries from vapes, earbuds, and other electronics.
Alasdair argues it’s unfair to keep blaming operators when the real issue lies with producers and poor product stewardship. Regulations already require take-back, yet too many batteries end up in household bins. Stronger producer responsibility is overdue — whether through proper collection systems, clearer labelling, or even a deposit-return style scheme for vapes.
Jane adds that education is just as important: people must stop tossing batteries in the bin. The frontline in this fight isn’t just waste workers — it’s the public, deciding what to put in their waste.
The takeaway? Fires are putting workers, facilities, and public services at risk. Producers and government need to step up, while all of us take responsibility for safe disposal.
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