CONSUMER INTELLIGENCE
The diagnostic engine of the platform.
13 min read
When 'Recycling' Leaves the Country
Fourteen fields track a waste shipment leaving the UK. None ask whether recycling occurred at destination.
UK waste export regulations track fourteen fields about a shipment — who sent it, where it goes, how much. Not one asks whether recycling occurred at destination.
By Elliot Grey
7 min read
Producer Responsibility
The Phrase That Means 10%
The phrase 'producer responsibility' was invented to mean full cost. UK industry redefined it to mean 10%. For nearly three decades, the words did work the system did not.
By Elliot Grey
9 min read
The Ghost Tonnes
How the UK Recycling System Succeeded at Paper, Failed at Plastic
In 2023, UK companies claimed recycling certificates on 43,575 tonnes of plastic that customs never recorded leaving the country. The gap isn't fraud. It's design.
By Elliot Grey
12 min read
What "Compostable" Stole From Composting
Inside the Certification Gap That Let a Word Mean Nothing
EN 13432 certifies materials for facilities that don't exist. Twenty-four UK facilities accept compostables. Tens of thousands of cafes sell them.
By Elliot Grey
8 min read
The GBP 317 Million Failure
Britain Built Its Largest Plastic Recycling Plant. The System Killed It in 33 Months.
Viridor invested GBP 317 million in Avonmouth. It opened March 2022. It closed December 2024. The UK reported its highest recycling rate the same year.
By Elliot Grey
14 min read
The Transparency Trap
How Visibility Exhausts Scrutiny
Glass jar. "Just two ingredients." EPA certified. Each signal says: you can stop checking now. That's when the signal does its job.
By Elliot Grey