As we head into June, it seems we are very much in full swing in terms of policy and events (and a healthy dose of annual leave).
The start of May saw our first major national event of the year with the LARAC Scotland conference taking place in Glasgow. A great day held at the Raddison Blu hotel, with speakers from Scottish government, enforcement bodies and industry on the various unique challenges that Scotland faces in meeting both recycling and net zero targets. This included presentations on policy developments, litter and fly-tipping, textiles, and the impact of Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), as well as a brilliant opportunity to catch-up with our Scottish local authority members.
We followed this up a week later by sponsoring and attending the CIWM Northern Ireland conference, complete with the opportunity to stand up on the Titanic Belfast stage, iconic staircase and all, to speak on the ever-challenging topic of plastic films and flexibles collections. Another fantastic event and venue, and I would like to give a big thanks to the event organisers for the opportunity to speak, and the attendees including LARAC’s Northern Irish members for their input and support. Now, DAERA, if we could just have the outcome to the Rethinking Our Resources consultation, please?
Mid-May saw our second LARAC members’ webinar of the year, focusing on the challenges associated with food waste collections at flats above shops. Particularly relevant as we head towards Simpler Recycling’s April 2026 introduction of food waste collections by English local authorities. Presentations and case studies were provided by Fife Council and ReLondon, followed by an extensive Q&A session. A recording of the event, as well as the slides, can be found on the LARAC website here (you must be logged in to view this, but please contact us at admin@larac.org.uk if you have any issues!)
Finally, I got to join the LARAC Scholars on a fantastic visit to areera’s screen recycling facility near Huddersfield. It was a fantastic opportunity, sponsored and organised by Ecogenesys (formerly REPIC), to see the incredible combination of AI and manual work that goes into the deconstruction and recycling of these complex items and their various materials and components.
Policy wise, we are making strides with both the Environment Agency’s Charge Proposals for Simpler Recycling, and Scottish Government’s call for evidence on changes to waste management services. LARAC’s first draft response to both of these have been made available on the website, and we encourage all members to send feedback, comments, changes and suggestions on these to admin@larac.org.uk. We will also be sharing our first draft response to HM Treasury’s consultation on reform of Landfill Tax in England and Northern Ireland in the coming weeks.
So, what’s next? An early(ish) summer holiday for me in early June, so I’ll be in a museum or on a beach in Cyprus if you need me. Hopefully the flurry of policy activity will be waiting for me when I’m back – not least outcomes to the ETS and Rethinking Our Resources consultations. Maybe even the WEEE consultation? Failing that, we will at least be well on our way to sharing further information on LARAC’s upcoming Welsh and also UK conferences, as well future webinars!
