IRELAND

Country celebrates one year of DRS with billion returned containers

EU POLICY

MEPs in step with industry on energy / Substance reviews to be simplified / EP calls for acceleration of permitting, licensing

PLASTICS AND ENVIRONMENT

EU Parliament, Council provisionally agree on pellet loss regulations / “Building on plastics industry's work”

STRAPPING BANDS

Industry initiative aims to obtain PPWR exemptions

RECYCLING AWARDS

Plastics Recyclers Europe announces winners for 2025

TRADE WAR

Stock markets plunge as US slaps minimum 10% worldwide tariff on all goods / EU firms to pay 20% / US plastics group warns of damage

TRADE WAR

Trump slaps tariffs on US imports of cars, parts / Collection to start in early April / Europeans cry foul

SWEDEN

Deposit increase to push recycling rates above 90% / Plastics recycling levels still insufficient

BULGARIA

Discrepancies in reports of plastic packaging waste management - NGO

EU PACKAGING REGULATION

PPWR's key questions remain unresolved / Recyclate, reuse biggest challenges

USA

Trump upsets regulation cart / EPA to be eviscerated / Zeldin declares Green New Deal dead / Changes in store for VC classification?

UK

Patches of ‘nurdles' wash up on beaches after North Sea collision / Plastic pellets, jet fuel released into sea

TRADE WAR

EU Commission plans retaliatory tariffs; PE reportedly targeted / Move could aid European producers / US-Houthi attacks expected to aggravate impact of US tariffs

PLASTICS AND HEALTH USA

Trump EPA drops Biden-era lawsuit against Denka / Chloroprene risk claimed to be overstated

PET TRAYS

Petcore updates recycling guidelines on Tray Circularity Evaluation Platform

PLASTICS AND ENVIRONMENT

Long anticipated California legislation stutters / Governor says it's too costly / Chemical recycling not an option

CENTRAL ASIA

Uzbekistan devises plan to tackle plastics pollution / Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan admit lack of packaging alternatives

UK

Welsh government pressing ahead with its own DRS strategy / World number two recycling nation goes it alone

GLOBAL ECONOMY

US halts support for Ukraine, threatens EU with tariffs / Member states, Brussels counter with huge spending plans / Plastics groups in US, Canada raise concerns

ABS

Registration of imports from South Korea, Taiwan has begun as part of anti-dumping investigations