Sainsbury’s launches new initiative that will recycle the food waste produced by the supermarket to power 30 trucks at its Emerald Park distribution centre.
By producing biofuel from its food waste, Sainsbury’s says it will save over 3,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
Waste processor RenECO currently works with Sainsbury’s to turn food waste that can’t be donated or used for animal feed into biogas via anaerobic digestion.
Sainsbury’s said it will now use the biogas output of the anaerobic digestion to create a liquid biofuel suitable for HGVs.
Today’s announcement underscores the power that collaboration has in driving impactful change across business.
The supermarket said that the system ensures all fuel comes directly from Sainsbury’s waste, unlike traditional methods that mix certified biomethane with non-renewable gases.
Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s Director of Property, Procurement, and EV Ventures, commented: “Today’s announcement underscores the power that collaboration has in driving impactful change across business.
“We are proud to have worked closely with our supplier RenCo to deliver a pioneering move that supports our commitment to circularity and helps us to take a further step towards becoming net zero across our operations by 2035.”
Influencers will urge young people not to vape as part of the UK Government’s nationwide campaign to highlight the health risks associated with vaping.
The Love Your Lungs campaign aims to highlight the harms of vaping and nicotine addiction to13 to 18 year olds.
The campaign will roll out primarily on social media and use influencers to speak directly to younger audiences.
The Department of Health and Social Care also announced a 10-year study to investigate long-term health effects of vaping on young people’s health and wellbeing, alongside wider influences on adolescent health.
The £62 million research project into adolescent health, funded by UK Research and Innovation, will track 100,000 young people aged 8 to 18 years over a decade.
The research will collect data on behaviour, biology and health records to understand what affects young people’s health and wellbeing, including the impact of vaping.
Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Ashley Dalton, commented: “We know that vaping can be a useful tool to quit smoking, but it’s crucial we have clear evidence on the long-term health harms, especially for young people.
“This landmark series of studies, combined with our first nationwide youth vaping campaign, will help drive evidence-based, decisive action to protect our children’s future.”
European Union countries have agreed to establish extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes for textiles.
The European Parliament and Council have reached a provisional agreement on new measures to prevent and reduce waste from food and textiles across the EU.
According to the deal, EU countries would have to establish EPR schemes that ensure producers that make textiles available in any EU country would have to cover the costs for their collection, sorting and recycling.
The new rules would cover products such as clothing and accessories, footwear, blankets, bed and kitchen linen, curtains, and hats.
At Parliament’s initiative, EU countries may also set up EPR schemes for the producers of mattresses.
Negotiators also agreed that member states should address ultra-fast fashion and fast fashion practices when setting out the financial contributions to the EPR schemes.
Producers would be required to pay fees under EPR 30 months after the entry into force of the directive. Micro-enterprises would need to comply with the EPR requirements 12 months later.
The provisions would apply to all producers, including any using e-commerce tools, and irrespective of whether they are established in an EU country or outside the EU.
Rapporteur Anna Zalewska (ECR, PL) commented: “During the final negotiations round, Parliament succeeded to secure provisions making sure that food waste and textiles waste as part of the municipal waste will be further reduced.
“We succeeded in ensuring feasible and realistic provisions for member states to implement food waste reduction policies and we managed to ensure that the agriculture sector will not be negatively impacted.”
Food waste reduction targets
Negotiators also agreed to introduce binding food waste reduction targets to be met at a national level by 31 December 2030.
The targets require EU nations to reduce food waste in food processing by 10% and by 30% per capita in retail, restaurants, food services and households.
The European Parliament said the targets would be calculated in comparison to the amount generated as an annual average between 2021 and 2023.
Following Parliament’s request, EU countries would have to take measures to ensure that economic operators which have a significant role in the prevention and generation of food waste facilitate the donation of unsold food.
Up to £346 million of social value was created due to product reuse enabled by the resource and waste management sector in 2023/24, according to a new CIWM report.
The new report, funded by the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) and produced by Tech-Takeback, found that between £120 million and £346 million of social value was created through product reuse enabled by the resource and waste management sector in 2023/24.
The report focuses on technology reuse for digital inclusion and assesses the social value of wider reuse activities.
CIWM said the research shows the “key role” the resource and waste management sector can play in supporting the UK Government’s commitment to moving to a circular economy and accelerating the net zero transition.
The Institution said the resource and waste management sector can help create new jobs in the repair and reuse economy, reduce household expenditure by offering “high-quality” reused items at low prices, and cut carbon emissions by reducing the need for new product manufacturing.
The sector can also assist people back into employment by reducing digital exclusion by providing reused electronics, such as laptops, CIWM said.
Finally, CIWM said the sector can increase the capture of rare earth metals from the disassembly of end-of-life products.
The Executive Summary of the report is available to read now.
Commenting on the launch of the report, Lee Marshall, CIWM’s Director of Innovation & Technical Services, said: “Waste policy has not always been strong on reuse activities, and it will need to strengthen if we are to move towards a more circular economy.
“By demonstrating the social value associated with reuse activities, we can hopefully accelerate the move toward them becoming more mainstream than they currently are.”
The report also estimates that there are currently around 20 million unused laptops stored in UK homes, which have the potential to generate up to “£44 billion in social value”.
The research used three different tools (TOMS, HACT, and LOOP) to measure the potential social value of technology and other reuse activities.
It found that each of these tools has a different intended function, which means they provide differing assessments of the level of social value a reuse activity will generate.
As a result, CIWM said there is still a high degree of complexity when it comes to measuring social value, with no single tool providing a complete picture.
The report recommends that organisations use two different tools to give as complete a picture as possible.
Jodi Harford, Chief Operating Officer at Tech-Takeback, said the report demonstrates that reuse is more than just an alternative to recycling, calling it a “powerful catalyst for community transformation”.
“Our social value calculations show that every reused item, whether a piece of tech or another everyday product, can create jobs, reduce costs, and boost well-being,” Harford said.
A report last year by CIWM showed that reuse and repair are “likely to create the most jobs in the sector” over the next ten years.
Alongside the report, Tech-Takeback has produced a guide to support reuse organisations measure and articulate the social value generated by their activities.
The full report is available to read here and an Executive Summary can be found here.
The City of London Corporation says it is aiming to become “fully circular” by 2040 as part of its strategy to reduce waste and recycle building materials.
The City of London is a historic financial district, known colloquially as the Square Mile, where both the Stock Exchange and the Bank of England are located.
The area is approximately 1.12 square miles and governed by the City of London Corporation as its local authority.
The Circular Economy Framework and Action Plan outline the Corporation’s plans to embed circular principles in major construction projects and improve recycling facilities.
The Framework also outlines plans to make it easier for residents, businesses, and visitors to adopt circular practices while in the Square Mile.
Chairman of the City Corporation’s Port Health and Environmental Services Committee, Mary Durcan, said: “This framework is a game-changer for the Square Mile. It builds on our commitment to innovation and sustainability, creating a greener, cleaner City for everyone.
By adopting circular economy principles, we’re not just reducing waste, we’re unlocking economic opportunities…
“By adopting circular economy principles, we’re not just reducing waste, we’re unlocking economic opportunities, fostering collaboration, and ensuring that the City remains a world-leading hub for business and culture.”
The Framework aligns with the Corporation’s Climate Action Strategy, which aims for net zero carbon emissions across its full value chain, and the entire City of London, by 2040.
The organisation has already launched several circular economy projects including regular “Give and Take” days, where City residents can donate unwanted books, clothes and electrical items for reuse.
Chairman of the City Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee, Shravan Joshi, said: “The City of London’s global reputation as a financial and cultural capital is underpinned by our ability to lead on sustainability.
“This framework exemplifies how forward-thinking policies can drive real change, making the Square Mile a model for circularity and a magnet for sustainable investment.”
48% of adults in the UK purchased a second-hand item in the last year, according to Suez’s “Repair, Reuse, Reform – How to Accelerate Progress to a Circular Economy” report.
The report found that Gen Z and millennials are leading the trend of buying second-hand, with those under 35 almost twice as likely to buy re-used goods than those over 55.
A re-use manifesto published today by SUEZ recycling and recovery UK (SUEZ) has revealed research into consumer habits and called on the UK Government to activate a seven-point plan to reduce avoidable waste.
The research undertaken for the re-use manifesto suggests that the cost-of-living crisis may already be driving a surge in pre-loved purchasing.
The poll, conducted for SUEZ by Opinium in January this year, revealed that 30% of UK adults said they were more likely to buy second-hand as a result of the cost-of-living crisis.
It showed that almost 16 million shoppers (29% of adults) have reined in their spending on clothes, with 20% buying fewer electrical goods.
Government action is needed to level the playing field and give consumers the confidence to buy re-used or repaired goods…
24% of adults also said they are more likely to buy re-used or second-hand items this year than in 2024.
When questioned about their motivations for buying re-used items, 42% of respondents cited better value for money, followed by environmental concerns (29%) and support for small businesses and charities (27%).
However, affordability is a key concern, with one in four shoppers (26%) citing financial pressures as a key reason.
The report also highlighted the barriers that prevent people from buying second-hand with 40% of consumers hesitant to buy re-used goods due to concerns over quality, while 18% worry about being scammed.
Commenting on the research, John Scanlon, Chief Executive Officer at SUEZ recycling and recovery UK, said: “The UK has a massive waste challenge – if all nations consumed at the same rate as us, we would need over two and half planets to sustain our demands. So, it is hugely positive to see the surging popularity of re-use and repair.
“However, the repair and re-use movement still faces major impediments and disincentives. Government action is needed to level the playing field and give consumers the confidence to buy re-used or repaired goods, which would help turbocharge the shift towards a more circular economy.”
In its re-use manifesto, Suez said the UK Government should activate these seven steps to stimulate re-use and repair:
Cut the cost: Reduce VAT on all reused, refurbished and repaired goods, including spare parts and labour.
Harness skills: Implement the ideals of the former Government’s Green Jobs Delivery Group, to bring more people into the sector.
Build consumer confidence: Establish a nationwide accreditation scheme for tested and repaired products.
Enable local leadership: Give the public sector a clear objective to prioritise re-use.
Keep products in use for longer: Increase minimum warranty periods for electrical and household items.
Make repairs accessible: Extend Right to Repair legislation.
Invest to grow: Create a £250 million Re-use Development Loan Fund.
According to “Repair, Reuse, Reform – How to Accelerate Progress to a Circular Economy”, UK households and businesses throw away two million tonnes of electrical appliances every year and discard 70 million different household items worth more than £2 billion.
The re-use manifesto also says that if every UK household re-used or repaired two extra items a year, it would keep 23 million more items in use, generating £1.6 billion for local economies and creating 74,200 skilled jobs.
Circular Online explores seven innovative ways that new artificial intelligence technologies are advancing the circular economy.
The shift from a linear economy where resources are extracted, used, and disposed of, to a circular economy where materials are kept in use for as long as possible is an essential part of tackling resource depletion and environmental impact.
While recycling remains important, circularity goes beyond simply managing waste – it focuses on prevention, reuse, refurbishment, and remanufacturing to design waste out of the system altogether.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a key enabler of this shift. By improving material recovery, enhancing product design, and optimising supply chains, AI is helping businesses and policymakers make the circular economy more efficient and scalable.
Here are seven ways AI is already making an impact:
AI-powered sorting is improving recycling efficiency
Last year, Greyparrot shared data insights from sorting facilities being uncovered by AI waste analytics systems.
One of the most immediate applications of AI in the circular economy is its role in waste sorting and recycling. Many recycling systems face challenges due to contamination, inefficient sorting, and an inability to process complex multi-material products.
AI is addressing these issues by increasing both the speed and accuracy of waste separation.
AI-driven computer vision technology allows machines to recognise different types of materials on a conveyor belt, distinguishing between plastics, metals, glass, and textiles with a high degree of precision.
Robotic arms, guided by machine learning, can then remove unwanted materials, improving the purity of recycled outputs. Over time, these AI models continuously learn and adapt, enabling them to identify new materials as packaging and product designs evolve.
Companies, such as ZenRobotics, TOMRA and Greyparrot, have developed AI-powered waste-sorting systems that significantly improve efficiency, ensuring that more materials are properly recovered and reintroduced into production cycles.
Machine learning is enabling smarter material design
AI is also transforming material science, enabling researchers to develop products that are easier to recycle, repair, and repurpose.
One of the biggest challenges in achieving circularity is the fact that many modern materials – particularly plastics and composites – are difficult to break down and reuse. AI-driven material discovery is helping scientists design more sustainable alternatives.
Machine learning algorithms can analyse the chemical properties of materials and predict how they will behave over time.
This can lead to the creation of self-healing polymers, biodegradable alternatives, and modular materials that can be disassembled and repurposed.
In the future, AI may even allow for programmable materials that can change their properties based on specific environmental conditions, making them more adaptable and reusable.
Predictive maintenance is extending product lifespans
One of the key principles of the circular economy is keeping products in use for as long as possible. AI is helping to achieve this by enabling predictive maintenance, which allows manufacturers, businesses, and consumers to anticipate wear and tear before it leads to product failure.
Rather than waiting for a machine or device to break down, AI can analyse performance data and detect early signs of deterioration.
This is particularly valuable in industries such as manufacturing, transport, and medical technology, where equipment failures can be costly and lead to unnecessary waste.
By predicting when maintenance is required, AI helps to extend the lifespan of products and reduce the need for frequent replacements.
Companies, such as Vanguard, are applying this approach in the medical sector, remanufacturing surgical tools to extend their use while maintaining strict safety standards.
AI is supporting circular product design
Circular economy principles are most effective when applied at the design stage. AI-powered design tools are helping businesses create products that are easier to repair, upgrade, and recycle.
By analysing vast datasets on material performance, supply chain logistics, and customer usage patterns, AI can assist designers in choosing the most circular materials and structures.
This approach is particularly relevant in industries like electronics and construction, where AI is being used to develop modular components that can be easily disassembled and repurposed.
Companies like Grafmarine are applying this concept in the energy sector, designing modular solar panels that can be repaired or upgraded rather than discarded when they reach the end of their initial use.
AI is enabling Product-as-a-Service models
The transition to a circular economy is not just about material recovery – it also involves rethinking ownership models.
AI is helping to support Product-as-a-Service (PaaS) models, where consumers access products through rental, leasing, or subscription rather than outright ownership. This approach ensures that products remain in circulation for longer, reducing unnecessary consumption and waste.
AI enables businesses to track usage patterns, optimise maintenance schedules, and predict when products need refurbishment or replacement. This makes PaaS models more viable and financially sustainable.
Companies, such as Grover, which rents out consumer electronics, and Rebike, which provides refurbished e-bikes, are already using AI to manage product lifecycles.
These models keep products in circulation for as long as possible, ensuring they are repaired, reused, and redistributed rather than discarded prematurely.
AI is enhancing supply chain transparency
One of the biggest challenges in achieving a truly circular economy is the lack of visibility across supply chains.
Many companies struggle to track where their materials come from, how they are used, and where they end up at the end of their lifecycle. AI is helping to close this gap by providing real-time insights into material flows.
Through the use of machine learning, big data analytics, and blockchain integration, AI can help businesses trace the origins of raw materials, monitor their environmental impact, and ensure that sustainability commitments are being met.
This level of transparency is particularly important in industries such as fashion and consumer goods, where supply chain complexity often makes it difficult to verify whether materials have been ethically and sustainably sourced.
AI-powered supply chain monitoring tools are already being used by companies seeking to improve their circularity credentials and meet evolving regulatory requirements.
AI is personalising consumer engagement in sustainability
Intuitive AI wrote a case study on how their new AI recycling assistant Oscar Sort is improving consumer engagement.
Beyond industry and infrastructure, AI is also influencing how individuals engage with the circular economy.
AI-powered platforms are providing personalised sustainability recommendations, helping consumers make more informed choices about the products they buy, how they use them, and what they do at the end of their life.
By analysing purchasing habits and product usage patterns, AI-driven applications can suggest repair and refurbishment options, recommend second-hand alternatives, and connect users to local circular economy initiatives.
AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants may also play a role in guiding consumers towards more circular consumption habits.
Looking to the future, AI could support systems where consumers are incentivised for sustainable behaviour, such as returning used products for refurbishment or opting for repair over replacement.
The future of AI and the circular economy
As AI continues to develop, its role in supporting circularity will only expand. From optimising waste management to enhancing material innovation, AI is already demonstrating its potential to make the circular economy more efficient and scalable.
However, its success will depend on collaboration across businesses, policymakers, and consumers. The integration of AI into circular economy initiatives needs to be guided by clear policies, ethical considerations, and investment in sustainable infrastructure.
If applied effectively, AI has the potential to accelerate the transition to a more resource-efficient, low-waste future, helping businesses and societies move beyond traditional linear models towards a truly circular economy.
As National Apprenticeship Week (10 – 14 February) gets underway, SUEZ recycling and recovery UK looks at what the recycling and resource recovery sector do to attract and retain the talent the it needs.
It was a pivotal moment for our industry; a public declaration that there can be no net zero without a circular economy and no circular economy without a geared up and appropriately skilled waste sector.
Yet there are some discomfiting statistics about the availability of the skills needed to deliver the government’s net zero plans. Currently, the UK has a green skills deficit of around 70,000 people and the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) estimates that the sector will need 238,000 more skilled practitioners by 2040.
Green skills and the circular economy
Dr Adam Read, Chief Sustainability and External Affairs Officer for SUEZ and Chair of the CIWM’s Skills of the Future Working Group, says this means a concerted effort from both a practical and policy perspective is needed to make up for the momentum lost when the body tasked with staffing the transition to net zero, the Green Jobs Delivery Group, was stood down in October 2024.
“Our sector is the net zero failsafe mechanism,” Read said. “We input at every stage of the current linear economy to reduce its carbon impact, but it is our presence at the end of the line, where we ensure vital resources are pushed back into circulation, that showcases our foundational role in the circular economy.
“The government must align its green skills policy with businesses like ours that are so fundamental to a functioning circular economy and invest in education, training and skills now so that the transition to net zero can happen at the pace required.
“After all, it takes time to recruit, train, develop and empower any workforce to deliver change, and the scale of change in our sector is more than significant, so to deliver by 2040 we need joined-up thinking and delivery now! But are we clear about what green skills and new roles and competencies we will need?”
“Our sector is the net zero failsafe mechanism,” former CIWM President Dr Adam Read MBE said.
Whilst academia is also playing catch up with a rapidly evolving green skills agenda through new courses and, in some cases, new industrial partnerships, specific skills development and programmes like apprenticeships and interns, the government is hoping to do more to directly incentivise the sector to train its own talent.
Last September, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced that the unpopular Apprenticeship Levy will be replaced by a new Growth and Skills Levy which will prioritise careers in industries where they are most needed and offer greater flexibility for employers to provide shorter or more agile apprenticeships.
In its current incarnation, the levy is criticised for only being available for apprenticeships of 12 months or more, even though some skills development does not require that timescale.
The unintended consequence is that the levy has failed to reverse the steady decline in the number of companies investing in both on and off-the-job training. Instead, they look to buy the skills they need, creating a highly competitive labour market against a backdrop of increasing green skills scarcity.
Why do they choose to buy, not build skills? Because the cost in time and effort of a 12-month apprenticeship when six months may have sufficed is simply not viable for many smaller businesses – the very businesses that make up the majority of the UK economy.
This resulted in the supposedly fully-funded initiative proving too expensive for many smaller cash-strapped companies.
How to kick-start a green skills revolution
Dr Tracey Leghorn, SUEZ Chief Business Services Officer says: “The UK’s skills and industrial policies must work hand-in-hand, ensuring businesses have the right incentives to invest in training for the future and in the areas that will underpin a sustainable, resource-efficient economy.
“The Growth & Skills Levy can help deliver this by facilitating the right training, in the right way, for the right sectors.”
But even with the new Levy, it will take a number of years for the necessary effect of these changes to materialise.
So, with green skills in demand, and those possessing them likely to have a wide range of opportunities to choose from, what can the waste sector do now to lure talent across the weighbridge?
How likely is it that the youngest cohort of Generation Z schoolchildren choosing their options this year, are dreaming of a future in waste? Even optimistically, the answer is likely to be very few.
Dr Leghorn believes the industry must work a lot harder to dispel some of the negative aspects of its image to resonate more accurately with a younger generation who, according to the Deloitte 2024 Millennial and Gen Z Survey, “want purpose-driven work and are not afraid to turn down work that doesn’t align with their values”.
“There is a need to collectively reposition a career in resource recovery and recycling as a significant contribution to net zero and circularity,” said Dr Leghorn, who is also Chair of the CIWM Social Inclusion Forum.
“If we look at our sector through the lens of its role in sustainability, together with the wide range of careers that can be pursued in the waste sector, we should be seen as an attractive proposition.
“No other sector offers this younger demographic the chance to directly address their key concerns about sustainability and the environment.”
There is a compelling story behind the fact that so many who join the industry have remained in it for the entirety of their career.
Career opportunities in the sector
Looking back and comparing where it is today, it’s a sector that has been continually growing and evolving, providing stability of employment but importantly a rich and fertile career environment in which those with a growth mindset can have multiple careers without ever moving employer.
The downside to this is that the average age of a waste sector worker is heading towards 50 – just 5% of staff are between the ages of 16 and 24.
Dr Leghorn says: “A sector demographic timebomb is rapidly heading our way and we must look to the future skills requirement with urgency and the agility needed in a rapidly changing world where employers need cost-effective capability and skills development, and our future employees are looking for a very different career proposition to those of their parents.”
Outreach to schools, colleges and universities can help tell that story about sustainability and the vast array of career opportunities available. It forms a pillar of the HR activity and SUEZ has an armoury of talent acquisition and training initiatives as part of its People Strategy.
This last year, they have onboarded more than 30 new apprentices, welcomed 20 graduates on graduate training schemes and currently have 10 interns across all areas of the business. Whilst quality must always be the focus, apprenticeship plans in 2025 extend into triple figures.
“Connecting early and relevantly is key to successful recruitment and, as well as engaging with educational establishments across all topic areas – whether that be STEM (science, technology engineering and maths) or business support functions such as law, HR, IT, finance etc – we also take a creative and socially inclusive approach to proactively sourcing the skills we need to ensure the future success of our business,” said Dr Leghorn.
This includes reaching out to ex-services personnel and, as a Veteran Gold Covenant Holder, SUEZ knows the value of the transferable logistics and technical skills that former members of the armed forces bring to the table.
Every area of the business is working towards having an apprentice in place as part of the inevitable succession planning needed in an industry where we are, in some part for the reasons outlined earlier, all fishing in the same relatively small pool.
One crucial area where skills are already in short supply, and where SUEZ is addressing the issue in-house with its own Academy, is Data and Digital Skills.
Bringing the industry into the future
The growing need for advanced waste sorting technologies, AI-driven recycling initiatives, and digital waste tracking systems require workers skilled in data analysis and management – all of which is a far cry from the manual labour image the industry has traditionally carried.
Being able to excel with data is crucial to retaining a competitive advantage in an increasingly sophisticated and data-reliant marketplace.
Dr Leghorn says: “This is a data-heavy business and becoming more so. We must ensure that the people handling that data have the appropriate skills to optimise and commercialise the vast array of rich data that we have at our disposal.”
The Digital and Data Academy saw 30 people enrolled in January, all of whom are studying for a range of relevant qualifications, including Degrees in Data Science. A further 60 will join over the coming few months.
Dr Leghorn says: “We are problem solvers at our very core so by making the sector more attractive to younger generations, offering agile, more exciting career pathways, and embracing technology-driven roles we can grow our own talent.
“Meanwhile, government intervention through training programmes, financial incentives, and education will be crucial to ensuring a workforce equipped for the future.
“By addressing the skills gap and promoting green careers, the waste management sector can position itself not just as a crucial link in the circular economy, but a leader that will drive sustainable change for generations to come.”
The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) and The Sustainables Academy have launched a free competition for UK primary schools.
With funding from CIWM, the “Design the Resource Revolution Centre” competition is a nationwide initiative that aims to inspire the next generation of professionals in resource and waste management, circular economy, and sustainability.
The competition will launch in schools in April 2025 and focus on the 10Rs – Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair, Re-purpose, Rethink, Regenerate, Redesign, and Recover.
Aimed at over 200 primary schools across the UK, learners will engage with concepts of better reuse, recycling, innovative technology, green skills, and actions that support Earth stewardship.
CIWM said the purpose of the initiative is to challenge kids to think critically about materials, waste management and the circular economy.
The competition also explores the key responsibilities of individuals, communities, businesses, and governments in safeguarding the planet’s resources.
This competition empowers young people to design the future of sustainable resource management.
By encouraging schools to integrate this project into their sustainability action plans, CIWM said the competition creates a learner-led approach that develops practical skills and promotes sustainability awareness.
CIWM said the Resource Revolution Centre competition aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and the Eco-Schools framework.
The competition aims to introduce learners to real-world applications of waste management and the circular economy. The programme is designed to be fully accessible for learners and adaptable for schools.
This simplifies the process of integrating the programme into existing school curriculums and tailoring it to the sustainability goals of individual schools.
Teachers can access a suite of free educational resources to guide their learners in planning and executing their Resource Revolution Centre designs.
Dan Cooke, Director of Policy, Communications and External Affairs at CIWM, commented: “By integrating critical thinking, innovation, and environmental stewardship into the classroom, this competition empowers young people to design the future of sustainable resource management.
“This is more than just a competition – it’s an opportunity to change mindsets, promote green skills development, and foster a deeper understanding of resources and waste management and the circular economy.”
69% of people in the UK want the government to set legally binding targets for reusable and refillable packaging, according to new research by City to Sea.
The new polling of 2,000 UK adults was commissioned by the environmental charity City to Sea and conducted by Yonder.
75% of shoppers believe reusable packaging must replace single-use packaging to tackle single-use plastic waste.
77% of respondents said they want to see all retailers offer reusable, refillable, and returnable packaging long-term.
75% of respondents believe the government and businesses must deliver a circular economy to tackle climate change.
The polling also found that 75% of respondents believe the government and businesses must deliver a circular economy to tackle climate change.
Commenting on the survey, Jane Martin, CEO of City to Sea, said: “It’s time for retailers to step up and commit to more sustainable packaging systems.
“Consumers want it, the environment needs it, our economy requires sustainable growth and high street regeneration. Imagine a world of refilling and returning, rather than dumping and burning.”
City to Sea published the research in the run-up to its Global Reuse Summit on 12 March 2025, in partnership with Ecosurety.
“The Global Reuse Summit 2025 brings together people from around the world to hold critical conversations to unlock the new reuse economy,” Martin said. “The market is ready, the opportunity is significant, and the time is now.”
The Department of Health and Social Care also announced a 10-year study to investigate long-term health effects of vaping on young people’s health and wellbeing, alongside wider influences on adolescent health.
Negotiators also agreed to introduce binding food waste reduction targets to be met at a national level by 31 December 2030.
