All articles by Ian Quinn
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NewsUltra-processed food decision anger as campaigners call on Burnham to step in
A raft of high-profile figures said the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition had gone against overwhelming evidence and public support for intervention
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Comment & OpinionWill retail’s Opening Shift job scheme be enough for NEETs?
Retailers believe they are stepping up in the effort to support young people into work – but they want government support to do so
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NewsClampdown ropes 1,800 new companies into paying EPR packaging tax
Defra minister Emma Hardy said tougher action by the Environment Agency, alongside improved data capture by Defra and PackUK, was improving the accuracy of future fee calculations
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NewsForum launched to salvage soft plastic collections after kerbside delay
Defra has announced talks launched to save soft plastic collections
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NewsNEET crisis breakthrough: retail bosses and ministers unveil plan for 100,000 jobs
The landmark partnership includes a new retail work experience programme to help tackle Britain’s growing youth unemployment crisis
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NewsFSA admits one-size-fits-all food safety shake-up won’t work
Talks with supermarket bosses lead to rethink as FSA agrees not to pursue a one-size-fits-all approach across the industry
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Analysis & FeaturesIs it time to scrap the UK’s packaging tax regime?
EPR, DRS, PPT, PRNs… the list of packaging regulations is only growing, and even the industry is butting heads over the solution
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NewsProducers granted ‘zero fee’ for first 15 months of DRS
The decision follows a massive row that helped to derail the launch of Scotland’s proposed scheme, with Circularity Scotland forced to slash its proposed fees in 2022, but only after a major backlash from producers
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Comment & OpinionWill Scotland’s radical price cap plan see the light of day?
Scottish first minister John Swinney is a modern-day Braveheart taking on supermarket price inflation with a barmy plan to cap the price of essential goods
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NewsScottish government unveils details of controversial supermarket price cap plans
More than 20 originations wrote to the SNP leader yesterday urging him to abandon his price cap plans, which they said would fail to address the root causes of the cost of living crisis
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NewsWar on single-use plastic ‘stagnating’ HMRC figures reveal
Figures show the effectiveness of the government’s plastic packaging tax is ‘stagnating’
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NewsTesco adds nearly 700 electric vehicle charging sites
Tesco has announced a new loyalty card tie-up with the electric vehicle charging network Be.EV
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NewsSecond plastics bailout on cards as waste costs skyrocket
The four UK governments have admitted they are considering mitigation, after changes to the way companies report their tonnages for reprocessed and exported packaging waste under the Packaging Recovery Notes (PRN) system led to mayhem
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Comment & OpinionDRS: Is the UK rollout back on track?
With a huge amount to do if DRS is to hit its October 2027 deadline, there is surely a far greater chance of success with industry calling the shots rather than being pulled in different directions by Westminster, Holyrood or the Senedd
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NewsProtein target set to transform role of meat in tackling food poverty
While the latest official figures show eight million people go hungry in the UK, including 2.1 million children, less than 5% of the food sent to frontline charities is meat
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NewsConfidence shows ‘partial recovery’ ahead of crucial budget
A survey of its members by the FDF showed business confidence among food and drink manufacturers was at a score of –31% in Q2 2026
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NewsIndustry reacts to Wales appointment of Exchange for Change
Industry reacts to DRS ‘milestone’ moment
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NewsDRS breakthrough as Wales appoints Exchange for Change as administrator
The appointment of the DMO will raise hopes that a joined-up launch is still possible
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NewsExchange for Change strongly denies DRS launch is facing ‘collapse’
Waste processors and recycling bosses have warned the government the deposit return scheme is facing a series of logistical barriers too serious to overcome
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Analysis & FeaturesThe industry’s race to be deposit return scheme-ready
Political turmoil and industry infighting have plagued the road to the UK’s deposit return scheme. With the October 2027 launch looming, packaging and labelling reforms can’t wait