A U.K. coffee chain begins collecting post-consumer coffee cups at its 2,000 locations, and an Eastern European country has a long way to go to meet the continent’s diversion goals.
Scotland: Officials in North Lanarkshire say they will “get tough” with locals who improperly recycle their household materials. The Daily Record reports the local government’s environmental services department will start marking household bins containing high amounts of contamination with bright red tags, and they will not be collected until the contaminants are removed.
Slovakia: A report by the European Commission has found that Slovakia, with a 12 percent recycling rate, has a long way to go to reach the European Union’s 50 percent diversion target by 2020. The Slovak Spectator newspaper writes that the country should implement a progressive landfill tax, improve extended producer responsibility laws and provide additional funding for collection services.
United Kingdom: Coffee chain Costa has begun a countrywide program to recycle paper cups, and not just its own brand. According to Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, Costa will accept any cup at any of the company’s 2,000 locations.
New Zealand: TerraCycle and Glad are putting on a contest that lets New Zealanders win prizes for schools and nonprofit organizations by recycling used Glad food-storage products. According to a press release, participants who send in the most products will earn $1,000 toward their chosen beneficiary organization, with $250 second- and third-place prizes.
