From 1 July businesses in Ireland producing large quantities of food waste have been subject to new collection rules.

A consumer body in the UK has warned that most teabags being sold in Britain today are only 70-80% biodegradable.

New research by Frost & Sullivan shows that the biological waste to energy plant market in Europe – which is already the world’s largest – should reach US$3.6 billion in 2016 if all goes well.

Over 1500 delegates from 72 countries attended the 18th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition which took place at in Lyon, France, from 3 May to 7 May 2010.

The amount of food waste collected in Seattle, USA, increased 47% in 2009 due to a new system of weekly collection contracts and a tremendous level of customer participation. These figures mean that Seattle’s food waste recycling rate is 10 times the national average in the States.

Researchers in Uganda and India are working together to explore the textile potential of the banana fibre, a part of the banana tree generally considered as waste.

Urban community composting has the potential for significant environmental and economic benefits, according to the findings of a research project conducted by Ballymun Regeneration Ltd.