Perseverance touches down on the red planet

NASA’s Perseverance rover, launched in July 2020, landed on Mars on 18 February. The Perseverance's mission involves exploration of the red planet's Jezero crater....

93% of industry without skills to meet 2050 climate targets

Only half (53%) of UK engineering firms think net zero by 2050 is achievable for them. 1 in 2 are currently experiencing a...

UK faces tidal wave of plastic if ‘poorly designed’ Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is...

· Plastic packaging would dominate supermarket shelves under flat rate DRS · 60% of shoppers would switch from endlessly recyclable aluminium cans to plastic...

Wetlands convention celebrates 50th anniversary, but wetlands are still in decline

On 2 February, the Convention on Wetlands, also known as the Ramsar Convention, celebrated its 50th anniversary. But there is still an alarming decline...

An unpredictable world: 2021 predictions

The world remains in crisis as the Coronavirus pandemic continues to rage and climate change action gathers pace. Closer to home, preparation will turn to action following Britain's departure from the EU at the turn of the year resulting in overnight changes to regulation.
Waste sorting at a recycling plant in Sterlitamak, Russia, in 2019. Image: Shutterstock.com/Vitaly Fedotov

£1.2m funding for waste vision start-up

Intelligent waste management start-up Recycleye has secured £1.2 million in seed funding, it was announced in mid-December
Plastic objects on white background

Funding for plastic recycling tech

Greenback Recycling Technologies, a company striving to develop circular solutions for packaging waste, has closed an approximately £8m series A financing round
Pipe with white smoke against the background of blue sky and copy space. emission of steam and smoke into the atmosphere

Time to put the foot down?

A decarbonisation rate of 11.7% per annum is now required to keep warming within 1.5°C according to new analysis from PwC in December

Sponsored content: Covid shines light on efficiency in water asset management

With the global Coronavirus crisis coinciding with the start of AMP7, what is the current state of play, and how should water companies prioritise their spending and investment in the circumstances?

Pioneering projects celebrated by foundation behind water documentary

Organisations that have embraced innovation to protect and enhance water supplies have been recognised for their pioneering work by the foundation behind the recent...

Early COVID-19 lockdowns had less impact on urban air quality than first believed

The first COVID-19 lockdowns led to significant changes in urban air pollution levels around the world, but the changes were smaller than expected –...

Will Nottingham be first UK city to rewild its centre?

Wildlife Trust unveils ambitious post-Covid wildscape to replace notoriously bleak shopping mall Early December saw the launch of a bold vision to rewild the heart...

Research creates hydrogen-producing living droplets, suggesting a route to possible future energy sources

Scientists have built tiny droplet-based microbial factories that produce hydrogen, instead of oxygen, when exposed to daylight in air. The findings of the international research...

Delivering pledges to net zero essential if Paris targets to be met, says IEMA

New briefing paper outlines the need for business relevance, multiple tools, planned pathways and transparent approaches On the eve of the fifth anniversary of the...

Documentary about Flint water crisis premieres on BBC

The documentary FLINT by filmmaker Anthony Baxter (You’ve Been Trumped, A Dangerous Game) aires on 1 December at 10pm on BBC Scotland and BBC...

Australasian water programme creates opportunities for European technology companies

A programme developed by the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) for the Australian and New Zealand water industries will create opportunities for innovative,...

Sponsored content: Forward dive for long-lasting Landia mixers at St Andrews

Following an intricate diving operation, ESD (the joint venture involving Galliford Try, MWH Treatment and Black & Veatch) has completed the successful upgrade of its mixing operation at Scottish Water’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in St Andrews, Fife
graphene-properties

Graphene-based packaging presented as first truly biodegradeable and compostable alternative to plastic

UK biotech company Toraphene says it is preparing to unveil the world's first truly biodegradable, compostable and commercially viable alternative to plastic packaging. The company...

On track for net zero? Observers respond to the UK government’s ten-point green plan

Commentators in the environmental sphere seemed to broadly welcome the UK government’s “Ten-Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution”, unveiled on 18 November, although...

Waste concrete to be repurposed into public furniture using additive manufacturing

Waste concrete from demolished buildings is to be reinvented and made into new custom-made outdoor memorials and public garden furniture with the help of...