Design Skills for Embedding Circularity: CIWM & URGE Collective prepare for design sprint. Circular Economy, Resource Management, Sustainability 2nd June 2026 CIWM (Chartered Institution of Wastes Management) Design Council, WRAP, and URGE Collective, have partnered with waste management company Biffa and retail business Decathlon for the next phases of the Design Skills for embedding circularity programme. The Design Skills for Embedding Circularity pilot programme is now gearing up for a design sprint that will focus on 'designing out waste'. An intensive 6-week deep dive, exploring challenges and barriers to circularity through both business, design and waste and resources lenses. The Sprint is part of an innovative pilot project funded by CIWM that links professional designers with resources and waste operators to embed designing out waste principles into everyday design practice. The design cohort have spent the last four months visiting industrial waste facilities guided by circular economy expert Sophie Thomas. They have observed technical processes and met waste resource experts across the country, including at Sherbourne Recycling's Super MRF, SWEEEP's waste electrical and electronic equipment recycling plant, DS Smith's largest UK recycled papermill, Enfinium's energy from waste plant, Biffa's Edmonton MRF, Enovert's landfill sites in Gloucestershire, and SUEZ's Renew Hub in Manchester. They have also visited Decathlon's London HQ, and Allermuir's furniture remanufacturing hub in Manchester to explore how circular business models are being realised. Each site visit and expert session revealed myth busting facts concerning how products are designed and manufactured for recovery, reuse or recycling and the barriers to circularity. These insights range from: the amount of lost material at the MRF stage from size or material complexity, coloured PET ruling out recycling, problematic waste arriving at MRFs including vapes, textiles, nappies, cookware, and the extremely limited intervention points for repair or reuse between user and industrial waste sorting. Dan Cooke, Director of Policy, Communications and External Affairs at CIWM, said that policy is moving in the right direction and will 'increasingly nudge' businesses towards circular models. "However, a vital element for progress is cross-sector collaboration and expertise - designers who understand what happens to a product at end of life, and resources and waste professionals who can influence design thinking upstream," Cooke continued. "These connections are important in helping to move the world beyond waste. In just a few weeks, this cohort is moving from waste facility floor to design studio, and knowledge is now being applied to live challenges from Biffa and Decathlon."

Council renews waste collection and street cleaning contract with Biffa. South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils this week announced they have awarded their joint Waste Collection and Street Cleansing contract to waste contractor, Biffa Waste Services, following a rigorous procurement process. The new contract will begin on 29 June 2026. The councils' existing shared contract with Biffa currently runs until June 2026 after it was extended by two years in 2024. The successful partnership has helped keep the two districts in the top 10 of the English recycling tables for over a decade. With the introduction of the new contract, the councils are not currently proposing any major changes in how household waste is collected, but following the publication of the Waste Resource and Street Cleansing Strategy Waste Resources and Street Cleansing Strategy they are encouraging people to maximise the value and lifespan they get from the things they buy. The councils are also preparing for law changes with the national 'Simpler Recycling' scheme that come into effect in 2027 - which will mean residents can recycle soft plastics. The main significant change will be a proposed move to a new council owned vehicle depot, alongside a new Dry Mixed Recycling transfer station contract. The councils' joint contract with Biffa has run for 16 years in South Oxfordshire and 15 years in Vale of White Horse. The councils' recent waste satisfaction survey has yielded encouraging results for its household waste collections, indicating a high level of resident approval with this side of the service. Eighty-one per cent of respondents expressed satisfaction, or high satisfaction, with the overall quality of the service provided. Cllr Sue Cooper - South Oxfordshire District Council Cabinet Member for Environment, said: "Its waste partnership has been successful over the last 16 years - and I'm proud of the fact it has played a big role in setting Henley Herald amongst the top recycling areas in the country, which is also thanks to the great effort made by its residents. I'd like to congratulate Biffa for coming out of the robust procurement process as the preferred contractor. "We clearly need to have an eye on the future reorganisation of councils when making contract decisions, but a contract of this magnitude couldn't be delayed so it has a range of flexible options built into it, to reflect the potential future needs of a new council structure, whatever that may look like." Steve Cole, Managing Director at Biffa Municipal, commented: "Biffa is very proud and honoured to continue its partnership with South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils, building on its shared commitment and successes in delivering reliable, sustainable, and innovative waste and street cleansing services. "We look forward to supporting the councils and their residents in preparation for changes in law over the next few years, working together to provide quality collection services and cleaner streets for residents and visitors alike." The new contract could run for a maximum period of 16 years (subject to agreed extension/s), with a minimum period of eight years and a break possible after four years to give maximum flexibility.

5-hectare solar farm at M4 interchange proposed in new plans. Find, save and share Public Notices that affect you in the Wiltshire area. Plans to build a solar farm behind a garden centre near the M4 at Swindon have been revealed. Biffa Waste Services wants to build the 6.5-hectare solar farm - the size of nine football pitches - on a former landfill site at Studley Grange. The applicant says alternative land uses are "limited" due to the site's former use for landfill since the 1990s. The restored land now features modified grassland, wildflower strips, woodland areas, ponds, and low-grade agricultural grazing land, designed to increase biodiversity and create ecological corridors. The land lies south of the proposed new site of the Swindon speedway stadium. The solar farm would have the capacity to generate 2.2MW of electricity - enough to power between 600 and 800 homes. In its application for planning permission to Wiltshire Council, Biffa says: "The proposed development aims to deliver a sustainable energy supply through the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on land formerly used for waste management activities. "It seeks to establish a renewable energy source on a restored, under-utilised site that benefits from an existing electricity grid connection with sufficient capacity to accommodate the solar farm as landfill gas-generated electricity output reduces." Full access to all of its articles online and on the app, fewer adverts, a better reading experience, exclusive competitions and more - all for less than the price of a cup of coffee. | Subscribe now! - https://t.co/WMk7dnx2V0 pic.twitter.com/tZ5fiHf9VF - Swindon Advertiser (@swindonadver) April 13, 2026 The applicant says that during the eight-week construction phase, an estimated 100 HGV movements - four a day, five days a week - would be expected to and from the site. HGVs would access the site south from the M4 on the B4005. A decision from Wiltshire Council is expected by the end of July. For the latest public notices and planning applications in your area, visit www.publicnoticeportal.uk