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How invisible barcodes could increase plastic recycling

A pan-industry scheme is testing invisible barcodes on plastic packaging to boost recycling rates.

Video by Adrienne Murray, James Brooks and Dougal Shaw

29 December 2021

Science & Environment

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Shenzhou-18 astronaut waving in space gear

Watch Chinese space crew return to Earth

The Shenzhou 19 spacecraft lifting off, bright lights and smoke come from underneath

Watch: China spacecraft launches in mission to space station

Astronaut Matthew Dominick squirting ketchup into his mouth on the International Space Station

Ketchup in space: 'You gotta squirt it out'

Mini the monkey

Moment BBC reporter returns tortured monkey into wild

SpaceX's Super Heavy booster fires out of its exhaust at the bottom of the rocket itself while it lands into the rocket launcher holder that it fired out of, during SpaceX Starship's fifth flight test, in Boca Chica, Texas, U.S., October 13, 2024

Watch: Why is the latest SpaceX rocket test a big deal?

Science & Environment

Curlew, brown bird with speckled wings, mid-flight

The curlew's return to Lower Lough Erne

Elephants wade through floodwaters at sanctuary

Watch: Elephants escape floodwaters in Thailand

Oleg Kononenko

Watch: Space crew returns to Earth after longest stay on ISS

A swan and her cygnets swim across a body of water. There is no suggestion of blue green algae in the water. It is a stock image

What is the effect of blue-green algae on wildlife?

Northern Ireland

The recycled bedding has been distributed to new owners who have signed up to the scheme

Second-hand bedding a hit at St Andrews University

Edinburgh, Fife & East

Bow of Titanic missing section of railing

Video shows Titanic missing large section of railing

Science & Environment

A broken hairdryer being recycled

London market recycling hub hoping to reduce waste

A gold and green leopard frog peers out of some leaves

Endangered leopard frogs released into the wild

Cow and man sitting together

What is it like to cuddle a cow?

Lough Neagh's blue-green algae has returned

Lough Neagh blue-green algae back as Earl meets minister

Northern Ireland

A bronze diplodocus statue at the Natural History Museum

Walking through time at the Natural History Museum

Hurricane Beryl as seen from space

Hurricane Beryl seen from space in Caribbean

picture of hay whirlwind

'Hay devil' spotted in farmer's field

Gloucestershire

Cow

'They don't understand what farmers are doing'

Northern Ireland

Astronaut Suni Williams arrives at International Space Station

Astronauts in Boeing capsule arrive at space station

Rachel Reeves

Watch: Reeves 'deeply proud' to be first female chancellor

The Chancellor has presented her first Budget in the Commons.

Twins James and John Makanjuola,

The twins cleaning London's unloved spaces

Entrepreneurs James and John run a cleaning firm, but take it to the next level in their spare time.

Paula Vennells at the Post Office inquiry

Key moments from former Post Office chief's three-day testimony

Paula Vennells faced three days of questions about her role in the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub-postmasters.

Paula Vennells reaching for a tissue in the Post Office inqiuiry

Ex-Post Office boss cries while giving evidence

Ex-Post Office boss Paula Vennells is speaking about the incident for the first time in ten years.

Santiago Paredes

Whistleblower claims Boeing supplier sent faulty parts

Spirit AeroSystems supplied Boeing with faulty parts, a former quality inspector has told the BBC.

Tatti Lashes

Tatti Lashes: The school friends who built a beauty empire

Charlotte Tiplady and Elliot Barton explain how together they built up their Tatti Lashes beauty empire from Liverpool.

Ocado has added robotic arms to its newest warehouse near Luton.

Watch Ocado robots in action

Ocado has added robotic arms to its newest warehouse near Luton.

Business Headlines

BBC World News business headlines

The latest international business headlines from BBC World News.

Jo Hamilton

'I feel survivor's guilt' says Post Office victim

Former sub-postmaster Jo Hamilton told BBC Breakfast she feels "guilt" after settling with the government over the Horizon IT scandal.

Woman in sunglasses smiling while answering questions related to the Budget

Watch: 'My biggest financial regret is...'

People in Kent share their finance stories ahead of Wednesday's Budget. Would you share yours?

Mohsin Issa

Issa brother to step back after 'fixing' Asda

Mohsin Issa, one half of the so-called "billionaire brothers" who own Asda, says he plans to hand over the running of the UK's third biggest supermarket.

Robots

'We had to adapt our robots to the AI revolution'

Sandy Enoch of Robotical explains why he had to pivot his educational robot company due to AI.

Picsart

'AI won't steal your job, but people using it may'

Hovhannes Avoyan, founder of picture and video editing app Picsart, shares his advice for our CEO Secrets series.

Picture of The Body Shop storefront in the 80s

'They thought it was a sex shop' - The Body Shop in the '80s

Archive footage shows Dame Anita Roddick talking about her company's success, in an 1984 interview.

Raid on Co-op store

CCTV shows violent raid on Co-op store

The retailer gave the footage to the BBC as it warned of a rise in attacks on retail staff.

Sir Howard Davies

Not that difficult to buy a home, says NatWest chair

Sir Howard Davies says he believes it is not currently "that difficult" for people to get on the housing ladder.

Joanna Jensen

'A viral Facebook post nearly blew up our business'

Joanna Jensen, founder of skincare brand Childs Farm, shares advice for start-ups for our CEO Secrets series.

Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes

Broadband rises must be 'clearer', says Ofcom boss

The regulator has plans to make mobile and broadband firms more upfront about mid-contract price rises.

Earring

'This earring helped me build my £4bn business'

Richard Harpin, co-founder of Homeserve, explains how an earring taught him an early business lesson.

Olivia DeRamus and BBC reporter Lora Jones

'Taking control of my abuse story'

Olivia DeRamus set up an app in the wake of her sexual assault. Now she's ready to take on Big Tech.