14 Jan 2018

On top of the evidence of neonicotinoid pollution of rivers this survey report illustrates a worrying trend with impact for river life. Modest pollution in many English rivers is enough to kill 80% of eggs, increasing concerns over insects which are vital to all ecosystems Modest levels of pollution found in many English rivers are […]

14 Jan 2018

Bob Earll ‘The idea of having biodegradable card instead of plastic for cotton bud sticks has been around for over 20 years. It is a no brainer. So this announcement which forces the obvious change is long overdue. Now for the rest of UK and Europe to follow suit. In the process Governments will get […]

10 Jan 2018

There seems to be a growing awareness that water quality is not improving despite the best intentions of everyone concerned. In this report DWI provide an analysis of the sources of failure in drinking water quality in 2016. Although I missed this in 2017 it provides a useful reference for those following these matters. DWI […]

07 Jan 2018

MPs call for “latte levy” on coffee cups  The Environmental Audit Committee calls on the Government to introduce a 25p latte levy on disposable coffee cups and for all coffee cups to be recycled by 2023. Read the interactive report summary Read the report summary Read the conclusions and recommendations Read the full report: Disposable […]

03 Jan 2018

Rivers in England are contaminated with powerful insecticides, new testing has revealed, increasing concerns over the impact of the toxic chemicals on fish and birds. Neonicotinoids were banned from use on flowering crops in the European Union in 2013 due to the harm they cause to bees and other vital pollinators. Following even more evidence of harm, […]

29 Dec 2017

A four-point plan for tackling plastic waste has been outlined by the Environment Secretary Michael Gove. He told BBC News – Roger Harrabin BBC environment analyst – that he wants to reduce the amount of plastic used in the UK, and to make it simpler for people to recycle. Environmentalists fear Mr Gove will be […]

29 Dec 2017

See:  Plastic Bottle Tracker PBT      TWO articles 1.The Environmental Audit Committee calls for the introduction of a UK-wide deposit return scheme for plastic bottles, a requirement to provide free drinking water in public premises, and to make producers financially responsible for the plastic packaging they produce. Read the report summary Read the conclusions and […]

29 Dec 2017

Communications and strategy challenges of the plastics Issue – Chris Rose Any campaigns taking on the plastic crisis face some significant communications and strategy challenges.  These include getting rid of the L-word, the visual ‘less is more’ problem (debris > microplastic), the communications legacy effect and potential motivational dead-ends of beach clean-ups, and the inability […]