Newcastle-under-Lyme recently launched the UK’s most complicated kerbside collection service, requiring residents to separate waste into eight distinct containers. But why have they taken such a drastic step? And how will residents cope? Resource investigates

We produce too much waste and consume too much energy. Gasification and pyrolysis won’t change this, but can they help us deal with both issues? In the final instalment of our renewable energy series, Libby Peake gets to grips with advanced thermal treatments