Glasgow commits to being free of ‘unnecessary’ plastics by 2030
Glasgow has announced a new goal of completely eliminating all unnecessary plastics by the year 2030 and eliminate all single use plastics by 2022.
United Kingdom
This archive gathers solutions-journalism stories and milestones from the United Kingdom — covering health, environment, social policy, science, and more. Browse 388 articles documenting progress made by communities, researchers, and organizations across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
EasyJet becomes world’s first carbon-neutral airline by offsetting all emissions
EasyJet will begin to offset emissions from its 331 planes immediately. It will become the world’s first major airline to operate net zero carbon flights across their entire network.
New drugs improve late-stage melanoma survival rate in the U.K. from 5% to 52%
Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK and kills nearly 2,300 people each year. Doctors said this new intervention marked an extraordinary and rapid transformation in care.
Burger King removes plastic toys from kids’ meals in the U.K.
Burger King claims the initiative will save 320 tonnes of single use plastic every year. This move will help them reach their 2025 goal to make all packaging 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable.
Sainsbury’s to cut plastic packaging in half by 2025
The U.K. supermarket giant currently uses almost 120,000 tonnes of plastic packaging per year.
Iceland Supermarket’s ‘reverse vending machines’ reach one million plastic bottles recycled
Iceland supermarkets have recycled over one million plastic bottles in just over a year, thanks to a trial of ‘reverse vending machines’ in five of its U.K. stores.
Offshore wind boom is transforming U.K.’s coastal town economy
Growth in the U.K. offshore wind industry is transforming the U.K.’s coastal towns from empty ports to bustling industry with thousands of skilled job opportunities.
11 million new trees to be planted in England by water companies
The firms will be planting trees on around 15,000 acres of land across England, as well as supporting work to restore original woodland and improving habitats that store carbon.
Plastic bag sales in England halved in past year
Asda, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, the Co-op, Tesco and Waitrose sold 549 million single-use plastic bags in 2018-19, down from one billion in the previous year.
Virgin Media commits to 100% renewable energy goal
The telephone and internet service provider has signed up to The Climate Group’s RE100 initiative, joining a group of leading businesses committed to increasing the consumption of renewable energy worldwide.