A sustainable workplace is one whose operations conform to certain key principles. This might mean installing the right technologies, or instilling the right habits in your workers. A culture in which employees are empowered to identify and implement their own changes will often lead to a more sustainable end result.

Energy-efficient practices around the office

There are a number of obvious habits and practices worth implementing. Employees should switch off electronic devices that aren’t being used, and make sure that heating and cooling systems are running optimally. Employees should be trained to spot waste, and to eliminate it on sight, in much the same way that they might eliminate safety risks.

It’s also worth learning to quantify the extent of any waste that you do run into. For example, running a boiler for ten minutes longer than necessary will often use far more energy, and emit far more carbon, than running a single light bulb for days on end. Knowing the greatest sources of waste will allow your workers to identify the low-hanging fruit when it comes to sustainability.

Rethinking daily routines

Often, it’s the steps that we take unthinkingly, throughout the day, that can make the biggest difference to the results we enjoy. By making small adjustments to these everyday habits, we can make a more sustainable workplace not just achievable, but inevitable. For example, you might reduce the waste associated with single-use coffee cups by installing a quality coffee machine in the staffroom.

Engaging Employees through Green Initiatives

It’s worth getting the entire company involved with, and enthusiastic about, sustainability. You can create awareness by making green issues central to informal workplace chat. You might create a challenge to achieve some specific goal, like limiting non-essential printing in your office.

Creating a visible display that illustrates your progress toward the goal, and recognising when key milestones have been met, can help to get everyone invested not just in the specific project, but in the broader issue of sustainability. Your display might be as simple as a stack of paper, representing all of the paper that you’ve saved over the course of a given month.

Make long-term impact part of culture

As effective as the right campaign can be, what will really make the difference over the long term is a specific kind of mindset – one that emphasises sustainability as a primary goal, rather than a secondary one. Anything that you do that helps workers to adopt this mindset will ultimately help your business to become more sustainable. Often, the difference is considerable.

The patent-protected Roadvent® system operates through a network of specially re-engineered slot drains embedded within roads to extract toxic air from high-traffic areas. These emissions are then channelled into a multi-stage air handling unit (AHU), developed in collaboration with Carrier, where they are filtered and released back into the environment as clean air at street level.

Carrier’s engineering team played a pivotal role in designing and building a custom AHU featuring high-efficiency fans, HEPA filters, electrostatic precipitators, and activated carbon filters. The system also incorporates advanced control mechanisms, leveraging integrated sensors and smart software to monitor and adapt to real-time pollution levels, ensuring optimal performance under changing environmental conditions.

“We have produced a bespoke product for the Roadvent project,” said Chris Ekins, Airside Sales Engineer for London North West at Carrier. “It was clear we needed to provide an entirely custom solution that suited their very specific requirements. From concept to testing, we’ve worked closely with Thomas Delgado (CEO) and the Pollution Solution team to help bring their amazing vision to life.”

The Carrier-built AHU is connected to flush-mounted linear slot-drains in the road that extract emissions from traffic-heavy locations such as outside school playgrounds, bus stops, pedestrian crossings and congested city streets. The system is designed specifically to capture emissions at the level where people, especially children, are most exposed.

The first public installation of Roadvent is scheduled for late 2025 at a school site in Lewisham, London. Lewisham Council is now taking a leading role in piloting this system as part of its Air Quality Action Plan (2022–2027), which supports the borough’s wider Climate Emergency Action Plan. Through this initiative, the Council aims to raise public awareness and address the health impacts of air pollution. It also serves as a tribute to nine-year-old Ella Adoo Kissi-Debrah, the first person in the United Kingdom whose death was officially linked to air pollution.

“Carrier brought not only the technical expertise but also the shared purpose we needed in a partner,” said Thomas Delgado, founder and CEO of Pollution Solution. “Their team helped us in developing a scalable, high quality solution that’s ready for real-world deployment.”

A full-scale prototype tested at the Millbrook Proving Ground demonstrated a 91% reduction in human exposure to roadside air pollution, measured at the height of a child. The testing has drawn interest from local governments, environmental agencies and national infrastructure organisations.

“This is a textbook example of engineering meeting public impact,” said Daniel Wood, Head of Sales, Airside, at Carrier. “We’re proud to contribute to a solution that not only demonstrates innovation but also addresses one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time.”

The scientific and economic consequences of this trend are now undeniable. A recent global assessment found that plastic pollution is responsible for at least $1.5 trillion in health-related damages annually, affecting individuals from infancy through old age. Microplastics have been found in human placentas, lung tissue, and even blood. As Professor Richard Thompson, coordinator of the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty, stated ahead of the talks, the situation has reached the point where future generations will judge today’s choices not on rhetoric, but on results.

Despite this backdrop, much of Europe’s food policy remains curiously disconnected from the scale of the crisis. That’s partially because major EU countries like France continue to push for an EU-wide front-of-pack nutrition label, with Paris particularly vested in making its Nutri-Score the primary one. This is despite the fact that the European Commission earlier this year quietly shelved Nutri-Score as an option, and indeed, de-prioritised the food label debate altogether.

As it turns out, this was a fortuitous move. While the international community debates production caps and toxic chemical restrictions, Nutri-Score’s real-world performance has consistently fallen short of its promise of encouraging people to consume better and more responsibly. Serious doubts have emerged about the system’s scientific robustness, and more importantly, it diverts political attention from the deeper structural failures of the food system — including its unsustainable reliance on plastic packaging.

One of the most significant criticisms of Nutri-Score is that it rewards foods that are easily reformulated to meet its algorithmic thresholds, rather than those that are genuinely nutritious or sustainably produced. This disconnect arises because the label is not designed to evaluate food as it is eaten, or how it is produced, but rather how it conforms to narrow, standardised metrics. It privileges shelf-stable, uniform products, often the very ones wrapped in single-use plastic.

This system promotes the industrial logic that is now under fire at the global level. Foods that fit neatly into Nutri-Score’s criteria tend to come from supply chains optimised for scale, packaging efficiency, and long shelf life. As such, the label risks entrenching the very patterns of production and consumption that are contributing to both ecological and public health decline.

The food industry itself appears to be losing confidence in the scheme. In May, Nestlé announced that it would withdraw Nutri-Score from its products in Switzerland, citing weak consumer engagement and a lack of political consensus. Other major Swiss producers, including Migros and Emmi, had already taken similar steps. This quiet retreat by some of the sector’s most influential players signals a broader problem: a policy tool that was never built to shift systems is now struggling to even maintain voluntary support.

Meanwhile, the environmental threats posed by the current food model continue to grow. The OECD recently reported that 40 percent of the Earth’s land surface is now affected by land degradation. Climate change is accelerating drought, reducing soil fertility, and undermining food security across Europe and beyond. With global temperatures projected to rise by up to four degrees by the end of the century, droughts could become seven times more frequent than in the past.

There is a clear risk that France’s attachment to Nutri-Score is becoming a substitute for the harder work of real reform. Nutri-Score does not make healthy food more affordable. It does not reduce plastic waste. It does not protect soils, restore biodiversity, or regulate marketing to children. It does not support farmers who are trying to transition to more sustainable practices. What it offers is visibility. And visibility, while politically useful, is not a substitute for effectiveness.

The world does not need more labels on plastic. It needs fewer products that require them. As the plastic treaty talks remind us, the time for symbolic action has passed. If Europe wants to build a food system that is both healthy and sustainable, it must stop treating packaging, nutritional or otherwise, as a policy solution.

The United States is in the midst of several environmental crises. These issues not only harm the environment but also threaten public health and have serious implications for the national economy. Americans must educate themselves on each of these issues in order to help protect the environment and support impactful policy changes. To begin, few environmental challenges present as widespread a threat as air pollution. The United States ranks second, behind only China, when it comes to carbon dioxide emissions.

In 2023, industries such as transportation and electric power combined to generate nearly 70 million tons of air pollution. And in 2021, annual emissions from the coal sector increased for the first time since 2014, per the US Energy Information Administration. According to reports from the American Lung Association, about 40 percent of the population, or approximately 135 million people, are living in environments with air quality that can be described as unhealthy or polluted. The burning of fossil fuels is a major issue in connection to air pollution. Other problems, such as an influx of wildfires and extended pollen seasons, are caused by climate change. The Clean Air Act was developed in 1970 as a comprehensive federal law that sets emissions standards and other parameters for hazardous pollutants, yet many new policies are required to mitigate America’s air pollution issues. Air pollution is followed closely by water pollution as a major environmental threat in the United States.

One report from the US Environmental Protection Agency found that half of the nation’s rivers and streams, in addition to more than one-third of all lakes, are polluted to the point that they are not safe for drinking, swimming, or fishing. Rivers and streams in America face many threats, particularly agricultural pollution. Agricultural pollution impacts virtually every body of water in the country, including estuaries and groundwater. Reducing agricultural pollution demands a complete overhaul of many farming processes and systems, including growing, transportation, processing, and food storage. The impact of water pollution cannot be overstated. A California State Water Resources Control Board study found that almost 1 million Californians faced long-term health complications due to drinking water containing unsafe levels of substances such as nitrate and arsenic. Health problems, including cancer, can severely impact the liver and kidneys. Groundwater protection may become increasingly important as climate change-influenced droughts force the nation to rely more on groundwater.

On this note, water shortages represent another serious environmental threat in America. The United States has experienced consistent drought conditions for over two decades, with each individual drought causing billions of dollars in economic damages. California has endured many droughts, along with Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Droughts are a good example of how environmental problems impact both the land and human health.

As soil conditions degrade, vegetation decreases and erosion becomes more common. Low water levels and lakes and reservoirs, meanwhile, cause water shortages for locals. The Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, which provides water to upward of 40 million Americans, has operated under a Tier 1 Water Shortage declaration, the first in the dam’s history, since 2022. These are only a few examples of environmental challenges facing the United States. Additional issues include expansive wildfire seasons, rampant food waste, and plastic pollution.

By failing to enshrine the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment in its new environmental crime treaty, the Council has exposed a familiar flaw in European policymaking: a preference for soft, technical instruments over clear, enforceable rights. Even as environmental threats grow more acute, institutions continue to prioritise legal frameworks that are either too narrow or too weak to meet the moment.

This omission wasn’t accidental. Despite calls from parliamentarians, legal experts and civil society groups, a small group of governments opposed any move to codify such a right. The result is a treaty that tackles some symptoms of environmental harm, but avoids addressing its underlying causes, or empowering those most affected. Europe remains the only continent without regional legal recognition of the right to a healthy environment, a bizarre oversight for a region that places a strong emphasis on health and the environment.

Yet the consequences are real. Environmental harm doesn’t occur in the abstract—it contaminates water sources, pollutes air, destroys ecosystems, and deepens existing inequalities. Without a legal foundation to protect environmental rights, individuals and communities lack standing when they are harmed. Governments face no obligation to act preventively. And the most vulnerable—those living near industrial sites or in already degraded landscapes—remain unprotected.

This tendency to favour procedural mechanisms over substantive rights isn’t unique to environmental law. On the contrary, it reflects a broader pattern in Brussels policymaking, partially resulting from the institutional imperative for brokering compromise among 27, often differing, opinions.

Another example of such policy-making in the public health segment is Nutri-Score, a front-of-package nutrition label pushed by Paris for EU-wide adoption. The system claimed to help consumers make healthier choices by assigning products a score from green-A to red-E. But the algorithm behind it was simplistic and flawed, which penalised traditional foods like olive oil, cheese, and cured meats while ignoring broader dietary and cultural contexts. The scheme lost credibility, and political momentum followed. The Commission ultimately backed away from its harmonisation plans in the face of growing EU-wide opposition and shifts in political priorities.

But that wasn’t the end. In the absence of formal regulation, private actors stepped in. Carrefour, one of Europe’s largest retailers, recently announced it will begin publishing Nutri-Scores for more than 550 supplier products, regardless of whether producers approve. A policy once promoted by the EU, then effectively abandoned, is now being enforced through supermarket procurement decisions. Scientific concerns and political backlash notwithstanding, the algorithm continues to shape consumer behaviour and penalise producers without public debate or accountability.

Nutri-Score is not an isolated case. It is symptomatic of a policymaking style that favours light-touch, headline-ready initiatives over deeper structural reform. It’s easier to promote a colour-coded label than to address food system inequalities. Just as it’s easier to criminalise extreme polluters than to recognise and legislate for every citizen’s right to live in a healthy environment.

The new environmental treaty follows this same logic. It introduces tools to punish the worst offences, but fails to confront the broader governance failures that allow environmental harms to persist. There is no provision for access to justice, no mechanism to hold states accountable for regulatory backsliding, and no guarantee of protection for those most exposed to degradation. It is a step forward that is taken sideways.

Europe is facing a triple crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. These threats are no longer theoretical. They are already reshaping lives and landscapes, from droughts and wildfires to poisoned rivers and collapsing ecosystems. If Europe wants to lead credibly on environmental protection, it needs more than frameworks. It needs legal foundations.

Codifying the right to a healthy environment wouldn’t solve everything. But it would establish a baseline obligation—to prevent harm, protect public goods, and ensure access to justice when those obligations fail. It would give citizens the legal means to act, and governments the legal responsibility to respond. It would also prevent the kind of drift we’ve seen with Nutri-Score: where weak, ill-conceived frameworks collapse institutionally but survive commercially, reshaping markets without democratic consent or scientific backing.

The Council of Europe still has the opportunity to shift course. Opening negotiations for a protocol on environmental rights under the European Convention on Human Rights would be a necessary, concrete step. Not a gesture, but a commitment—to move beyond procedural ambition and finally begin legislating for the protections people need.

Photo by John Olan o‘Non Unsplash

The global plastic recycling industry faces a fundamental technical barrier: contamination. Despite decades of innovation in manufacturing and waste collection, less than 10% of the world’s plastic waste is effectively recycled—a problem that has long been considered technically intractable at commercially viable scales. Venture capitalist Yazan Al Homsi has identified this gap as both an environmental crisis and a significant market opportunity.

“Less than 10% of waste plastic gets recycled. So when we do all the work of taking us, let’s say, this cup, put it in the right bin, so on and so forth, ultimately 90% of it winds up in landfills, oceans, or incinerated,” explains Al Homsi, who has invested in Aduro Clean Technologies (NASDAQ: ADUR, CSE: ACT, FSE: 9D5), a company pioneering a novel approach to this persistent challenge.

The contamination problem is particularly vexing because it creates a cascading series of technical and economic barriers. Traditional recycling methods struggle with mixed materials and impurities, requiring extensive pre-sorting and cleaning that significantly increases processing costs while reducing economic viability.

Why Conventional Methods Fail with Contaminated Feedstock

The limitations of current technologies become clear when examining why they struggle with real-world plastic waste streams. As Yazan Al Homsi observes: “The current technologies that are available have a major limitation when it comes to contaminants. For example, a coffee cup with three types of plastics—lid, cup, and carton—current technologies struggle with pre-processing these efficiently.”

This challenge extends beyond consumer items to the broader plastic waste ecosystem. Conventional pyrolysis, the dominant thermal recycling approach, requires highly specific feedstock to function properly. Industry standards typically demand feedstock with at least 90% polyolefin content, a level of purity rarely found in post-consumer waste without expensive pre-processing.

The economic consequences of these technical limitations are severe. “Thermal approaches are very bad for the environment because they use a lot of energy, making them cost-inefficient and resulting in a lot of char being produced, which has no use and is just burnt material,” Al Homsi notes. With pyrolysis methods generating up to 30% char as a waste byproduct, nearly one-third of the input material becomes economically worthless, further undermining the business case.

These technical constraints have created a market where companies compete for the limited amount of clean, easily recycled plastic while the vast majority—particularly contaminated materials—remains unprocessed. This represents both an environmental failure and a massive untapped economic opportunity.

Hydrochemolytic Technology: A Fundamental Paradigm Shift

Aduro Clean Technologies has developed an approach that addresses the contamination challenge from a fundamentally different angle. Rather than relying on brute-force thermal processes, the company’s Hydrochemolytic Technology (HCT) uses controlled chemistry to selectively break specific molecular bonds.

This precision targeting enables HCT to process feedstock with as little as 75% polyolefin content—significantly below the 90% threshold required by conventional methods. This difference may seem incremental, but it dramatically expands the range of materials that can be economically recycled.

The efficiency advantages are substantial and quantifiable. “Aduro ran a sample on their continuous flow demo unit for 240 samples and achieved a 95% yield, with only 2% char, compared to current pyrolysis solutions that have 30% char,” al Homsi explains. This represents a dramatic improvement in resource recovery, transforming what was previously waste into valuable chemical feedstocks.

Beyond processing contaminated materials more effectively, Aduro’s approach operates at lower temperatures than conventional thermal methods. This reduces energy consumption and carbon emissions while improving the economics of the entire operation.

The AI Enhancement: From Chemistry to Intelligent Recycling

While Aduro’s core innovation lies in its chemical approach to recycling, artificial intelligence enhances multiple aspects of the process, creating a comprehensive solution to the contamination challenge.

AI plays a crucial role in optimizing the Hydrochemolytic process parameters. By analyzing factors such as temperature, pressure, catalyst ratios, and residence time, machine learning algorithms can identify the ideal operating conditions for different waste streams. This adaptability allows the system to efficiently process varying levels of contamination without manual reconfiguration.

Computer vision and spectroscopic analysis, powered by AI, enable real-time monitoring of feedstock composition. This capability allows the system to adjust processing parameters automatically, maintaining optimal performance despite variations in the input material—a common challenge when dealing with post-consumer waste.

The integration of AI with chemical innovation creates a technological synergy that addresses both the scientific and operational aspects of recycling contaminated plastics. This comprehensive approach transforms what was previously considered unrecyclable into a valuable resource stream.

Validation Beyond the Laboratory: Industry Interest

The technical promise of Aduro’s approach has attracted attention from major industry players, providing external validation of its potential. “Shell is part of the game changer with Aduro. This is a massive validation because when you have Shell testing your approach, that speaks volumes,” Al Homsi notes.

Shell’s involvement through its GameChanger program is particularly significant because it represents interest from a company with extensive experience in chemical processes and a global perspective on energy and materials challenges. This collaboration provides Aduro with access to technical expertise and industry knowledge that can accelerate the technology’s development and commercial deployment.

Additional validation comes from TotalEnergies, the seventh-largest petrochemical company globally, which has advanced from an initial evaluation phase into a deeper collaboration with Aduro. This progression indicates that the technology’s advantages are being recognized by sophisticated industry participants with deep technical knowledge.

Scaling the Solution: From Demonstration to Commercial Deployment

The critical challenge for any innovative recycling technology is scaling from laboratory success to commercial viability. Aduro has taken significant steps toward addressing this challenge through its engagement with Zeton, a globally recognized leader in pilot plant design and fabrication.

This partnership focuses on developing Aduro’s industrial pilot plant, which will demonstrate the technology’s capabilities at a scale relevant to commercial applications. Using industrial-grade equipment, the pilot facility will provide valuable data on process efficiency, economics, and operational reliability under real-world conditions.

Aduro’s approach to scaling is further enhanced by its modular, distributed processing model. Rather than requiring massive centralized facilities, HCT can be deployed in smaller units located close to waste generation sources. This reduces transportation costs and enables more efficient processing of contaminated materials that would be economically unfeasible to transport to distant recycling centers.

The Economic Imperative: Beyond Environmental Benefits

For investors like Yazan Al Homsi, Aduro’s approach to contaminated plastic recycling represents more than an environmental solution—it addresses a fundamental market inefficiency with significant economic potential.

“Aduro can turn waste plastic from a cost center to a profit center, which is why companies are more likely to adopt these solutions,” Al Homsi explains. This transformation of waste into value is particularly compelling as regulatory pressures intensify globally.

In Europe, where Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies are already creating financial incentives for better recycling, the economics are clear. “In Europe, there’s an exact requirement; you have to recycle 30%, and if you don’t, you pay taxes on what’s not recycled,” notes Al Homsi. These penalties can be substantial: “If you produce 100,000 tons of plastic and only recycle 10%, the delta between the 30% and the 10% is 20%, so basically 20,000 tons. You’ll be paying taxes on that, around 1,000 euros per ton, which is about 20 million euros per year recurring.”

With such significant financial implications, technologies that can efficiently process contaminated plastics become increasingly attractive to corporations seeking both regulatory compliance and operational efficiency. This alignment of environmental and economic incentives creates a powerful driver for adoption.

Investment Implications: The Market for the Previously Unrecyclable

Aduro’s ability to process previously unrecyclable materials opens access to a vastly larger market than conventional recycling technologies can address. With a total addressable market exceeding $300 billion across multiple applications, the company’s technological innovations represent a substantial investment opportunity.

Yazan Al Homsi’s investment in Aduro reflects confidence in both the company’s technological approach and its market potential. The combination of strong intellectual property protection—including ten patents developed over 14 years—and a large addressable market creates a compelling investment case.

The company’s recent uplisting to the NASDAQ Capital Market in November 2024 marks a significant milestone in its growth trajectory. This move not only provides access to broader capital markets but also indicates growing investor recognition of the potential for technologies that can effectively address the contaminated plastic challenge.

As regulatory pressures intensify and corporations increasingly seek cost-effective solutions for plastic waste, the market for advanced recycling technologies is likely to expand. Companies like Aduro, with approaches specifically designed to handle contaminated materials, are positioned to capitalize on this growing demand.

By focusing on the technically difficult but economically valuable problem of contaminated plastic recycling, Aduro exemplifies how innovation can transform previously intractable challenges into significant business opportunities. For investors like Yazan Al Homsi, this represents the ideal intersection of environmental impact and financial return—scaling what was once considered unscalable.

The Logistics Sector
In terms of transport and shipping, sustainable packaging solutions have taken centre stage. While these methods are obviously advantageous from an environmental perspective, we also need to remember that they are also capable of providing a cost-effective edge. Re-purposing recycled materials, creating highly durable containers, and smart warehouse management are some examples of why the logistics sector will benefit from a greener approach.

Unique Business Models
Countless enterprises have likewise learned to appreciate the role that green innovation plays. However, what does this term actually encompass? If can signify a host of metrics, and some of the most relevant include:

• Reducing the amount of paper used within the office.

• Implementing smart lighting solutions.

• Embracing remote employment opportunities.

• Using alternative sources of electricity (such as solar power).

Furthermore, businesses have made it a priority to educate their employees about the role of sustainability. This can help to reduce in-house costs, and to increase levels of personal accountability.

The Domestic Side of Things
The average consumer is just as keen to adopt the latest approaches to green living. The good news here is that the majority of techniques are easy to implement. For example, a family could choose to replace plastic Christmas decorations with handcrafted wooden ornaments. Low-flow taps and shower heads can reduce the amount of water that a home consumes on a daily basis. Ground-source heat pumps, modifying wood ovens so that they can accept biomass, and installing double-glazed windows to reduce energy consumption over the winter are all practical examples of the many options that exist.

Hurdles to Overcome
Although the observations mentioned above are indeed promising, we also need to remember that sustainability faces several real-world challenges. For example, the cost of implementing certain systems may limit their consumer appeal. Some industries (such as the petrochemical sector) will likewise find it difficult to make a green transition without sacrificing a sizeable portion of their existing workforce. Another potential stumbling block is associated with public recognition in developing countries. Regions that are heavily reliant on fossil fuels are much less likely to appreciate the appeal of green alternatives. This is why experts are constantly envisioning innovative approaches that can ultimately provide tangible benefits.

However, it is a foregone conclusion that sustainability is here to stay. From smart home energy systems to green business models, countless options are continuing to transform the world as we know it. What might the future hold? Only time will provide the answer to this question.

The system ensures that materials are turned back into new bottles and cans rather than being downcycled into lower-grade products. This closed-loop recycling reduces reliance on virgin materials and slashes carbon emissions. In 2024 alone, Sweden’s deposit system helped prevent over 180,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions—equivalent to the yearly emissions of a medium-sized Swedish city.

In the DRS, PET bottles and aluminium cans stay in a closed recycling loop, which is crucial for achieving true circularity. Unlike standard recycling, where materials often degrade in quality and get repurposed into other products, the deposit system keeps valuable materials in continuous use for their original purpose, so that they can become new bottles and cans, over and over again, says Sara Bergendorff, Head of Sustainability and Quality at Returpack/Pantamera.

Deposit increase aims to drive recycling rates above 90%
Sweden’s DRS has been built on 40 years of collaboration between beverage producers, retailers, and engaged consumers. The system’s high return rates and strict quality control make it a model for other countries looking to improve recycling infrastructure and minimize waste.

In 2024, Sweden’s deposit return rate reached 87.6%, just short of the 90% target. The deposit increase announced in January 2025 aims to further push recycling rates while reinforcing the importance of returning every bottle and can.

We often call bottle and can recycling Sweden’s smallest climate action — because everyone can contribute to the environment and climate simply by returning their containers instead of throwing them away or placing them in the regular recycling, says Sara Bergendorff.

The ISO 14064-1 verification process, conducted by an accredited provider (BSI), underscores Keenan Recycling’s commitment to transparency and accountability in its carbon emissions measurement and reporting. This independently verified baseline will serve as the foundation for the company’s Net Zero strategy, offering a solid benchmark to guide its future efforts in reducing emissions.

“Our carbon inventory provides the foundation for our carbon reduction planning,” said Fergus Healy, Head of Strategic Development & Net Zero at Keenan Recycling. “Having it verified against ISO 14064-1 by BSI is a significant step in ensuring our emissions reporting meets internationally recognised standards. This achievement further sets us apart in the industry and underlines our commitment to meet our SBTi targets through credible, science-backed sustainability initiatives.”

ISO 14064-1 is a globally recognised standard that provides a framework for organisations to quantify, monitor, and report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. 

This verification validates Keenan Recycling’s robust approach to measuring and managing its greenhouse gas emissions, reinforcing the company’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and Net Zero leadership in the waste sector.

In the past year, demand for off-site Biodiversity Units has soared, with Environment Bank selling units to over 100 clients in 2024. The momentum has continued into 2025, with January’s sales matching the total sales of the latter half of 2024. Live inquiries are currently valued at £210 million.

Importantly, Environment Bank has ensured that supply meets the rising demand. With 18 of its BNG Habitat Banks listed on Natural England’s national biodiversity gain sites register—accounting for over 40% of all registered sites—the organization has established itself as the UK’s top BNG Habitat Bank provider. These Habitat Banks cover nearly 1,000 acres, offering developers over 2,500 off-site Biodiversity Units to fulfill their BNG commitments.

Currently, Environment Bank is working to support over 1,000 development sites. The 18 registered Habitat Banks are part of its larger national network covering more than 2,000 acres, generating over 5,000 Biodiversity Units. BNG is also creating a valuable new income stream for farmers and landowners, supporting business diversification.

Catherine Spitzer, CEO, Environment Bank said: “The Biodiversity Net Gain Market is thriving and it is truly exciting to see a market that never before existed becoming established and delivering on its goals to restore and protect nature. We’re working with many of the UK’s leading housebuilders, with the majority of our enquiries coming from the sector, and we’ve sold units to most of the biggest names. This shows that BNG provides the right balance – enabling the government’s ambition to build 1.5 million more homes while at the same time investing in and supporting nature.

“The UK is the first country in the world to legislate for nature restoration with large new developments, and we can demonstrate that it is working well, cementing the UK as a world leader in nature markets. I hope its success inspires other countries to follow suit.”

More recently, Environment Bank was involved in the landmark transport infrastructure development linked to Everton Football Club’s new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium in Liverpool. By supplying Biodiversity Units, Environment Bank enabled the planning approval for this vital transport project, a central part of the club’s sustainable transport strategy.