This report results from a project for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in which we assessed the pathways, fate and environmental impact of microplastics in Scotland. Specific objectives of the project were to: appraise the main environmental risks posed by microplastic pollution in Scotland’s terrestrial, freshwater and marine environment; [...]

This report focuses on the development of methods for demonstrating achievement of the separate collection targets for beverage bottles in Article 9 of the Single Use Plastics Directive. Our research highlights the legal and calculation issues surrounding the separate collection targets, and provides the European Commission with clear recommendations for [...]

This report critiques the methodology of the report, Impact Study of NYS Bottle Bill Expansion, published in November 2019, which assessed the costs and benefits of adding glass wine and liquor bottles to New York State’s deposit system. Our review found that, as with the majority of research in this [...]

This special report explores the relative costs and environmental benefits of introducing electric Refuse Collection Vehicles (RCVs) as a replacement for the current standard diesel option. Our researchers found that, as the cost differential between diesel and electric RCVs is now marginal, there is a strong case for introducing eRCVs [...]

This summary report explores potential loopholes in the European Commission’s Single Use Plastics Directive. The research found that that certain ‘natural polymers’ could be exempted under the Directive’s definition of plastic, including those likely to have similar negative effects on the environment as their synthetic counterparts. If taken forward, the [...]

This report supports the summary report What is Plastic? A Summary Report Exploring the Potential for Certain Materials to be Exempted from the Single Use Plastics Directive. The EU Single-Use Plastics (SUP) Directive focuses on reducing plastic pollution from single-use items, particularly in the marine environment. In order to determine [...]

This report examines the economic and employment impacts of Iowa’s deposit return system. The report firstly examines the economic impact of, and the jobs created by, the current system. It then goes on to identify the economic and employment benefits resulting from implementing a modernized system with an expanded scope, [...]

This report, commissioned by Changing Markets, seeks to better understand the barriers to, and opportunities for, greater circular economy activity in the carpet waste management sector in the UK. The research focuses on the efforts of the UK industry, via the non-profit organisation Carpet Recycling UK (founded in 2008), to [...]

This report provides insight into the procurement process Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) followed to tender for new waste collection and recycling services, despite challenging circumstances, and documents why it was such a successful procurement. The report explains the process SWP followed to procure a new contract to deliver new and [...]

This report was commissioned following the Turkish Government’s confirmation in early 2019 that it will introduce deposits on beverage containers by 2021. This study proposes a design for a DRS in Turkey based on existing best practice around the world. Our consultants were commissioned by Reloop to review DRS design [...]