Construction begins on “UK’s first fully circular” tyre-to-fuel facility dedicated to the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) value chain at the port of Sunderland.
Tyre-to-fuel business Wastefront said the new facility is the largest of its kind in Europe. The facility’s first commercial phase will start at the end of 2026, with the second phase launching a year later.
Once fully operational, Wastefront said the plant will process 10 million end-of-life tyres annually and convert them into tyre-derived oil for refining into SAF and other sustainable fuels.
Vianney Valès, CEO of Wastefront, commented: “Our circular process not only prevents millions of tyres from being discarded in landfills but also provides a scalable, cost-effective pathway for SAF production.
“This process will also reduce lifecycle emissions by more than 80% compared to fossil fuels. The Sunderland facility is just the beginning – we aim to expand rapidly to meet the growing demand for sustainable fuels.”
Our circular process not only prevents millions of tyres from being discarded in landfills but also provides a scalable, cost-effective pathway for SAF production.
The Sunderland facility utilises an advanced heating process without oxygen called pyrolysis technology to convert end-of-life tyres into tyre-derived oil, which will be refined into SAF.
Wastefront said its system is self-sustaining and recycles the gases generated during pyrolysis to power its operations.
By 2030, Wastefront aims to operate four large-scale plants, collectively producing 128,000 tonnes of oil annually, which it says will yield approximately 90,000 tonnes of SAF.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended at the Port of Sunderland by MP for Sunderland Central Lewis Atkinson, leader of Sunderland City Council Cllr Michael Mordey, and Wastefront CEO Vianney Valès.
MP for Sunderland Central Lewis Atkinson said: “This £100 million investment by Wastefront is a huge vote of confidence in Sunderland, our workforce, and our region’s future as a leader in green innovation.
“The Port of Sunderland is rapidly becoming a hub for cutting-edge industry, and this project will create skilled jobs for local people while also securing our position at the forefront of the UK’s net-zero economy.”
A new Energy-from-Waste facility in Leeds has accepted the first delivery of unrecyclable waste as 200 tonnes arrive at the site.
enfinium, a leading UK Energy-from-Waste (EfW), said the Skelton Grange is important for the development of a circular economy and decarbonisation of unrecyclable waste for West Yorkshire and the wider region.
Once operational, enfinium said the facility will divert up to 410,000 tonnes of unrecyclable waste from landfill every year and generate up to 49MW of energy enough to power over 100,000 UK homes.
enfinium said the facility will divert up to 410,000 tonnes of unrecyclable waste from landfill every year.
Commenting on the delivery, Dan James, Plant Manager for Skelton Grange, said: “We are pleased that Skelton Grange has achieved this milestone as the project moves towards completion in 2025.
“EfW facilities play an incredibly important role in contributing to a circular economy and reducing emissions from the waste sector by diverting our unrecyclable waste from landfill.”
enfinium said the site’s construction created over 400 jobs and generated £500 million in investment and, once operational, the facility will create over 40 full-time roles.
In February 2025, the low carbon heating and electricity scheme Aire Valley Heat and Power Network in Leeds, which will utilise waste heat from enfinium’s Skelton Grange facility, was awarded £19.5 million in funding from the Government’s Green Heat Network Fund.
A joint statement from the four UK nations has announced the extended producer responsibility (EPR) base fees for 2025/26 will be published by June 2025.
The policy statement was made jointly by the Environment Secretary, and Ministers in the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs of Northern Ireland (DAERA) in Northern Ireland, Scottish Government and Welsh Government.
The policy statement outlines the environmental effects the four nations want EPR to achieve.
These are:
The use of environmentally sustainable packaging;
the prevention of packaging becoming waste;
an increase in the reuse of packaging, and the quantity and quality of packaging materials recycled;
a reduction in the packaging material placed on the market.
In the policy statement, the four nations said they expect PackUK, the EPR scheme administrator, to publish its first policy statement alongside its strategy, no later than June 2025.
The four nations said the first policy statement should drive producers to use household packaging that is easier to recycle or reuse.
The statement said that an estimate of payments that will be made to local authorities must be provided “as soon as reasonably practicable” for the 2025 assessment year.
For subsequent years, the Scheme Administrator must provide an estimate of payments no later than 1 November 2025 ahead of that assessment year, the four nations said.
PackUK is required to set out how it will measure and report on the delivery of its objectives and outcomes. The key performance indicators it will apply will be set out in its yearly Operational Plan.
The four nations said they will monitor the scheme administrator’s performance through PackUK’s annual report, which is due by 30 September 2026 for year one of EPR for packaging and each year thereafter.
For every five textile items repaired, four displace a new purchase – an 82.2% displacement rate – according to research by WRAP.
A new report from WRAP, produced in collaboration with resale and repair businesses and brands, shows the impact of a range of circular business models on stopping the purchase of new clothes.
The report, Displacement Rates Untangled, calculates the extent to which the rise of repair and resale can displace new sales, and how much they help offset the environmental cost of clothing.
Depop, eBay, Vestiaire Collective, The Seam, SOJO and brand Finisterre provided data for the report.
The research found that repairing one cotton t-shirt instead of buying a brand new one could save over 7.5kg CO2e.
Repairing a hole in a wool jumper instead of buying a new one could save over 16kg CO2e and repairing a rip in a waterproof jacket instead of buying a new one could save over 45kg CO2e.
WRAP, the global environmental action non-governmental organisation, also explored the impact of resale and found for every five preloved items bought, three displace new purchases – resulting in a displacement rate of 64.6%.
Buying a preloved pair of jeans online instead of buying a brand-new pair could save over 30kg CO2e, according to the report. While purchasing a second-hand pair of trainers online instead of buying a brand-new pair could save over 12kg CO2e.
Our data now quantifies the big environmental savings from preloved and repair.
Commenting on the report, Harriet Lamb, WRAP CEO, said: “There’s nothing better than finding a bargain online or in your local charity shop. Our data now quantifies the big environmental savings from preloved and repair.
“This is great news for shoppers as it shows that introducing a little circular living into your life reduces the price and the environmental price tag too.”
Using data from the six companies, WRAP said it has established benchmarks for repair and resale and developed a single methodology that can be applied by businesses.
WRAP is now calling on companies to adopt its standardised way of measuring resale and repair.
While the focus of Displacement Rates Untangled is repair and resale circular business models, the methodology could be applied to other models including redistribution and rental and applied outside the UK, WRAP said.
The report was launched at WRAP’s Textiles 2030 annual Circular Summit for signatories to the UK’s only industry-wide voluntary agreement tackling waste, water stress and emissions in the UK’s textile sector.
WRAP said it will also publish the first in a new set of Circular Living Standards later this year for Preloved clothing.
Iain Gulland, Chief Executive of Zero Waste Scotland, explains what Critical Raw Materials are and the economic opportunity they present if businesses adopt circular economy principles.
The linear, take, make, waste, economy that has prevailed for decades is no longer serving us. In fact, it’s working directly against our efforts to evolve a sustainable future in which people and the planet thrive.
The circular economy is the best tool to help us fix it. But when it comes to critical raw materials, failure to act urgently and strategically could impact our ability to decarbonise and ultimately derail our vision for a sustainable and prosperous future.
What are critical raw materials?
Aerial view of the lithium mine of Silver Peak, Nevada, California, USA.
“Critical raw materials” are natural resources, like lithium, cobalt, nickel, platinum and palladium.
These materials are “critical” because they’re in finite supply, but are also essential components of future technologies, like renewable energy generation. They are also essential for producing rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, smartphones, and laptops and advanced manufacturing, such as robotics.
Currently, much of the extraction of critical raw materials is environmentally unsustainable. Mining, processing, and transporting critical raw materials, among other resources, generate emissions that drive climate change, accelerate mineral resource scarcity, and contribute to other environmental impacts, including air pollution and biodiversity loss.
Our consumption of new products is a key driver of this behaviour. In Scotland alone, around four-fifths of our carbon footprint comes from the production, consumption, and waste of goods and materials.
It means that, despite all the effort that goes into harnessing these materials, our linear economy sees us disposing of them at an alarming rate.
The opportunity for Scotland
At Zero Waste Scotland, we have long been raising awareness of the link between consumption and climate change and the need to tackle consumption, if we’re serious about living within the limits of our natural environment.
Taking a circular approach to critical raw materials can help us achieve exactly that, avoiding emissions generated overseas through resource extraction and negating the need to transport them huge distances to our shores.
But the argument for circularity when it comes to critical raw materials is economic as well as environmental.
Scotland and the UK are currently heavily reliant on imports for our supply, yet we have significant stocks of critical raw materials embedded within our infrastructure.
These are in everything from oil rigs and wind turbines to the 40,000 tonnes of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) we export as waste each year.
By capturing these materials instead of exporting or disposing of them as “waste” we have an unrivalled opportunity to harness valuable components for reuse, in turn creating new economic opportunities such as jobs in reuse and remanufacturing.
What’s more, with critical raw materials so essential to “green” growth and powering our future, we must futureproof our supply. Alleviating our reliance on imports for critical raw materials can make our economy more resilient and free us from economic risks around volatile supply chains and geopolitical challenges.
Companies like Renewable Parts, which refurbishes wind turbine components, and EGG Lighting, which provides energy-efficient lighting solutions, show how innovation can strengthen domestic supply chains and support the UK’s green transition.
What should the future strategy be?
At Zero Waste Scotland, we recently teamed up with Scottish Enterprise to co-host an event exploring the critical raw materials challenge and opportunities for Scotland.
Held at the Scottish Parliament, the oversubscribed event brought together decision-makers, advisors, industry leaders, and academics, to share their expertise and insight and generate a shared understanding of the importance of critical raw materials as an issue.
One of the key takeaways from the event was the acute need for new data gathering and knowledge-sharing to effectively assess the criticality of different materials and inform our strategic approach.
That need is why we have worked together with Green Alliance to produce “Mission Critical”: a five-step plan for greater energy security for the UK and Scotland, with demand reduction and circularity at the core.
What’s more, our Material Flow Accounts paint a picture of the scale and nature of Scotland’s consumption by quantifying the materials we are extracting from Scotland’s natural environment, as well as those which are imported, exported, and wasted.
However, the critical raw materials challenge is a global and complex one and will require a collaborative effort from multiple stakeholders.
The parliamentary event was an important step in raising awareness and identifying key partners, but it was just that – an initial step on what will be a much longer journey.
Analysing the policy landscape
Inside Scottish Parliament.
The good news is we are taking up this mantle within a policy landscape that boasts a strong commitment at the decision-making level to accelerating a circular economy, backed by tangible actions to get us there.
The Scottish Government recently published Scotland’s Circular Economy and Waste Route Map, setting out an ambitious plan to deliver actions that the government, in collaboration with others, must take to accelerate progress towards a circular economy between now and 2030.
Meanwhile, Scotland’s Circular Economy Act enables powers that set a framework for the future, including delivery of some of the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map interventions and requires the creation of a Circular Economy Strategy to be consulted on and reviewed every five years.
The Act is already supporting Scottish decision-makers to evolve positive sustainable change, for example, introducing a charge on single-use disposable beverage cups by 2026.
At Zero Waste Scotland, we have just launched our new Corporate Plan, with rewiring the economy at its heart.
It sets out our strategic vision for the next five years, targeting high-impact sectors like critical raw materials where we can maximise economic opportunities as well as environmental ones. Because a zero-waste, circular economy is the right choice – for people, planet, and prosperity.
Zero Waste Scotland is Scotland’s circular economy public body, working with government, businesses, and communities to rewire the economy from our current “take, make, waste” model to one where we make the most of the materials we have.
Trewin Restorick, Founder of Sizzle Innovation, explains how his new sustainable venture is aiming to transform waste into wonderful, circular solutions for your garden.
There is a saying that where there is muck there is money, but is it true? The theory will be tested with the launch of Treasure Gardening a new social enterprise seeking to celebrate the wonders of waste by making high-quality horticulture products from waste and by-products.
The launch of this new circular economy enterprise has certainly been circuitous. It started with an investigation by Sizzle Innovation, funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, that sought to understand why, despite many warm words and commitments, the sale of peat for gardeners was still not banned.
The research concluded that the industry was struggling to find a consistent and affordable replacement for peat, that legislative barriers were adding cost and complexity, and there was scepticism amongst some professional and amateur gardeners about the effectiveness of peat replacements based on poor early experiences.
These concerns were sufficient to dissuade the UK Government from finding legislative time to introduce the promised ban.
With no ban likely in the foreseeable future, Sizzle set about exploring the steps that would hasten the transition from peat to more sustainable alternatives.
This included bringing together twenty organisations to launch a communication campaign to gardeners, which helped them to better choose and use peat alternatives.
Policy recommendations, backed by 16 organisations, were developed helping to create a more supportive legislative framework. These addressed two of the identified barriers, but what about the supply of a high qualitative alternative?
What is the alternative?
Peat excavation on The Isle of Skye, Scotland.
To answer this, Sizzle called upon the services of “compost connoisseur” Simon Blackhurst a self-confessed growing media geek with vast experience in developing peat alternatives.
Based on his knowledge, it became clear that a mix of materials was required capable of replicating the properties that make peat suitable for growing. Could we create this magic mix?
Around 20% of the new compost could be provided by green waste and we worked with Durham County Council to source this material.
Despite their excellent sorting process, it was clear that plastic contamination was a problem. A trial communications campaign was run, which successfully halved the amount of visible plastic found in the waste. This reduction was sufficient to pass rigorous testing.
The key for the remaining ingredients was to ensure that they were of consistent quality and sustainably sourced. This was achieved by sourcing wood off-cuts from the furniture industry, using a by-product of the coconut industry called coir and wood bark.
The new compost was made and sent for growing trials in the North East of England where it outperformed both peat and non-peat competitors.
Convinced that we had a viable product that could address one of the three barriers we had identified, our challenge was how to take it to market.
Market research identified that most people don’t give much consideration to the compost they purchase relying on price and previous buying decisions rather than thinking about quality or sustainability.
With this understanding, we worked with an agency called Chorus & Bridge to create our new Wonderfuel compost brand.
The new branding deliberately aimed to stand out from a rather staid market focussing on the quality of the product backed by strong sustainability credentials. Start-up funding was secured and we are now seeking to make it available through retailers and online.
This is the point of trepidation. Will we be able to break into a difficult market, will gardeners buy it, have we got the pricing right and does the bold branding work?
Early indications are positive. What we do know is that we have already sparked new conversations about the importance of transitioning from peat and the challenges that this represents.
What were the next steps?
Our story could have ended at this point, but the creation of Wonderfuel got us thinking more broadly. Over the course of our research and product development, we have become aware of a huge range of green and biowaste that is currently being underutilised.
Waste materials such as used hops from the brewing industry, scallop shells, sheep wool and maybe even pet hair could, if properly treated, be used to provide sustainable and circular solutions for growers.
These solutions could reduce dependency on fertilisers, cut costs, enrich the soil and support circular economy ambitions.
The launch of Treasure Gardening aims to successfully land Wonderfuel in the marketplace and to research opportunities for turning other waste streams into horticultural products. It is a long shot but if successful will demonstrate that strong environmental commitments can go together with a profitable business.
If we’re successful, our intention is to donate some of the profits to sustainable growing initiatives across the UK so that we build wider impact.
Following the official launch of PackUK, Zoe Brimelow, a Director at packaging manufacturer and consultancy Duo, looks at whether a national packaging plan is now needed to support packaging circularity.
The recent Packaging Innovations and Empack trade show saw the public launch of the UK Government’s packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) scheme administrator, PackUK.
A panel of representatives from the administrator’s steering group came together to outline the aims of the pEPR and highlight the importance of the scheme for driving change and investment in packaging and packaging waste.
Part of the pEPR and PackUK’s remit involves stimulating an estimated £10 billion investment in recycling services and infrastructure over the next decade, as well as promoting more sustainable packaging alternatives.
This will be delivered alongside other initiatives, including Simpler Recycling and the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers.
With so much happening and big investment promises, there seems to be a strong case for a circular packaging plan to build business confidence and industry collaboration.
Industry deserves transparency
Zoe Brimelow, a Director at packaging manufacturer and consultancy Duo.
Investment in the UK’s recycling infrastructure is desperately needed to increase waste collection services, enhance material segregation and significantly improve the quality of recycled plastic pellets.
Sustained investment averaging £1 billion per year over the next decade could also help to balance supply and demand for recycled plastic in the UK and provide this part of the market with much-needed stability in terms of recycled plastics prices.
Although the promise of investment is welcome, there’s a sense of déjà vu around investment being derived from an economic stimulus that’s intended to support packaging recycling.
In April 2022, the Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) was introduced to provide an economic incentive to encourage the use of recycled plastic.
According to HMRC data, from August 2024, the PPT generated £553million in revenues during its first and second years.
There’s been no clarity about how this new stream of tax revenue has been used. The optimist in me wants to believe it has been spent on funding initiatives, such as Simpler Recycling and government-backed projects that support innovation in sustainable plastic packaging.
However, this is nothing more than guesswork and a key reason why we should have a plan for pEPR revenues.
If businesses are going to fund £10 billion of investment via pEPR payments, they deserve clarity about how and when this money will be spent.
A circular packaging strategy could outline key areas of investment in recycling and show how pEPR payments will reduce the reliance on virgin resources by increasing the volumes of recycled content in packaging.
A plan could also provide transparency about the value of industry collaboration to encourage greater support among businesses.
Inspiring confidence, fostering collaboration
The official launch of PackUK announced intentions for three working groups, including the Recyclability Assessment Methodology Group, Efficiency and Effectiveness Group, and Communication and Behaviour Change Group.
These groups create opportunities for businesses to pitch ideas and share knowledge and experience. This is crucial for helping to shape reforms and suggest practice measures that will positively impact packaging sustainability and recycling.
Producing a national, publicly available circular packaging plan could help show how these working groups and collaborations are benefitting industry and those professionals taking the time to participate.
There’s a genuine risk that businesses feel that economic stimuli, such as the pEPR and PPT, are a bit like speed and traffic cameras.
The roadside devices are intended to improve road safety but are often viewed as nothing more than revenue generators, which ultimately detracts from their core purpose. The same sentiment can be levied at recycling-related fees and taxes.
If businesses aren’t clear about how revenue from the schemes is benefitting the transition to a circular economy, it can cause scepticism about the value of collaboration and deter businesses from genuinely backing schemes.
The British Plastics Federation and RECOUP produced a Recycling Roadmap that pinpoints three key changes required to improve UK recycling.
These changes, in part, look at the importance of improving communications and investing PPT funds in recycling infrastructure.
A government-led circular packaging plan could be a positive step towards achieving these changes and creating confidence among businesses about how pEPR funds will be reinvested in improving packaging recycling.
The impact of UK reuse charities must be supported to help achieve the UK’s circular economy goals, according to a report released by Reuse Network.
Reuse Network says it is attempting to clear the barriers currently prohibiting the reuse sector from operating at full potential and supporting the UK government’s circular economy goals.
The charity argues that without policy reform and investment, the sector will struggle to continue delivering environmental and social benefits.
The Reuse Network’s Reuse Roadmap sets out five points that it is asking the UK Government to consider when developing its new Circular Economy Strategy.
These include:
– breaking the link between waste and reuse by managing resources;
– removing regulatory burdens obstructing reuse;
– upgrading to new recruits to manage large item waste;
– supporting the existing reuse sector;
– and recognising and valuing the social benefits and public savings created through reuse.
Commenting on the roadmap, Craig Anderson, CEO of Reuse Network, said: “For decades, reuse charities have stepped in where policy has fallen short, ensuring that essential household goods remain accessible to those who need them most.
“Yet, despite our environmental, social, and economic contributions, the value of the reuse sector has never been fully recognised or supported.
“The UK Government must act now to remove restrictive policies and champion reuse in order to unlock its full potential in driving the circular economy forward. The time for recognition and action is long overdue.”
Northumbria University secures £250,000 in research funding to enhance sustainability in the construction industry through AI technologies.
The project will develop “AI-driven decision-support systems” to help construction managers identify waste generation points, implement effective handling strategies, and assess project sustainability.
Northumbria University said the systems will measure waste handling efficiency, resource utilisation, and adherence to sustainable practices.
The £250,000 of research funding was secured in the latest Horizon MSCA call from the European Commission,
The project, led by Dr Pablo Martinez Rodriguez from the Department of Architecture and Built Environment at Northumbria, aims to improve waste recycling efficiency, reduce landfill dependency, and promote circular economy principles across the globe.
Commenting on the project, Dr Martinez said: “Sustainable construction is essential for addressing global environmental challenges.
“Our research harnesses AI to precisely track waste generation, optimise resource usage, and provide construction managers with real-time, data-driven insights to enhance waste management efficiency.”
By promoting circular economy principles, we aim to catalyse a global shift toward sustainable construction practices.
The research will also aim to establish best practices, industry guidelines, and policy frameworks to facilitate the adoption of sustainable construction methods.
The University said it will focus on materials reuse and designing buildings for disassembly and reassembly to align with UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production.
This latest project follows existing research by Dr Martinez Rodriguez and Dr Osama Mohsen from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia into how AI can tackle construction waste in the UK and Saudi.
Dr Martinez added: “By promoting circular economy principles, we aim to catalyse a global shift toward sustainable construction practices.
“This research will not only benefit the UK and EU but also set a benchmark for responsible construction worldwide.”
Northumbria University was recently awarded £9 million by UK Research and Innovation to establish a Centre for Doctoral Training in the field of AI.
Known as the Citizen-Centred AI (CCAI), it focuses on the inclusion of citizens in the design and evaluation of AI.
Novelis Inc. says it has reduced CO2e emissions produced by the aluminium recycling furnace at its UK plant in Warrington by up to 90% by replacing natural gas with hydrogen fuel.
The recent trial found using hydrogen instead of the same amount of natural gas when operating a melting furnace can reduce CO2e emissions by up to 90%.
The aluminium recycler Novelis Inc. installed new burners, regenerators, and furnace lining material as part of the tests at its plant in Latchford, Warrington, which are part of a UK government decarbonisation programme.
The demonstration project at Novelis Latchford is part of the UK government’s Industrial Fuel Switching Competition programme.
Supported with a grant of £4.6 million, as part of the £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio and the wider regional HyNet project, the programme aims to support industry to decarbonise their operations through a switch from natural gas to low carbon hydrogen.
We are transforming the Latchford site into a prototype for high-recycled content and decarbonised aluminium production.
Commenting on the trial, Emilio Braghi, Executive Vice President, Novelis Inc., and President, Novelis Europe, said: “With the significant expansion of our local recycling capacity, we are transforming the Latchford site into a prototype for high-recycled content and decarbonised aluminium production.”
Novelis said it conducted several series of tests, which involved blending different percentages of hydrogen with natural gas (30%-100%) to evaluate the impact on existing infrastructure and equipment compatibility.
During the trial campaign, several hundred tonnes of 3000 series scrap aluminium alloy were remelted and cast into sheet ingots, Novelis said.
Novelis now plans to complete further downstream processing, including rolling and finishing, at its other plants in Europe to establish the “end-to-end” parameters of a hydrogen-based, recycled alloy production process.
Following the full post-trial evaluation and assessments, a report will be released as part of the UK government’s Industrial Fuel Switching programme later this year.
