Waste

Plastic production and pollution have a negative effect on the environment and climate change. Using detailed global and regional datasets coupled with socioeconomic data, machine learning was employed to predict that annual mismanaged plastic waste will nearly double by 2050. Annual GHG emissions from plastic are projected to grow by 37%. Four simulated treaty policies could reduce mismanaged plastic waste by 91% and GHG emissions by one-third.

In recent years, Turkey has emerged as a global hub for plastic waste processing, primarily fueled by imports from countries such as the UK and members of the European Union. This study investigates the environmental impacts of illegal wastewater discharges from plastic recycling facilities in Adana, a major plastic waste import hub in Turkey. 

Thee 2025 Brand Audit report reveals the ‘Dirty Dozen’ - the 12 most polluting household brands in the UK and their parent companies. Coca-Cola topped the leaderboard for the fifth-year running, closely followed by McDonalds and Cadbury. The other top brands included: Red Bull, Walkers, Monster, Lucozade, Pepsi, Stella Artois, Haribo and Mars. And theUK’s largest supermarket, Tesco has made it into the Dirty Dozen for the fifth-year running. 

Business journalist Saabira Chaudhuri explores the corporation's massive lobbying effort in the EU to exempt a 'reuse for dine in' requirement in the landmark Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation and draws parallels between the tactics McDonald's used in EU and its efforts to thwart the foam ban in the 1980s in the US which was ultimately successful. 

This study proposes intersectoral collaboration to achieve zero plastic pollution. The authors an intersectoral dialogue amongst scientists, manufacturers, regulators and representatives of civil society about how to alleviate the negative impacts of plastic pollution. Circular economy offers a framework for selecting non-toxic chemicals, extending product (re)use, and waste reduction, which act to alleviate pollution when applied to plastics. 

The development of End-of-Waste criteria can support the EU’s transition to a circular economy. EU EoW policy must be driven by transparency and traceability, clarity and enforceability, and non-toxicity. This will enable genuine circularity, ensure high protection of human health and the environment, and support the EU's leadership in high-quality waste-derived materials.

The UK’s plastic waste export system is fundamentally failing and, without immediate political intervention, the environmental, social and economic consequences will only deepen.

Each year, approximately 83 mio tonnes of textile waste are produced globally – 65% of which are made from fossil-fuel derived synthetic fibres. This resource provides an accessible overview of how textile waste affects people and the environment in Africa. It also explores the global systems driving the crisis and outlines practical steps toward lasting, equitable solutions.