Drought & water stress: Wales has declared drought status as the River Wye runs low and Natural Resources Wales warns of continued dry weather, with multiple catchments moved to “prolonged dry weather” and some areas seeing less than 20% of expected July rainfall. Heat impacts: UKHSA has issued yellow heat health alerts across parts of England for the weekend, warning temperatures could reach around 30C and raise risks for health and social care, with water-related incidents also flagged. Work lost to extreme heat: New research says the June heatwave cost the UK £1.15bn and 24 million lost work hours, with millions facing hosepipe restrictions and growing pressure on water, farming and wildlife. Recycling rules & waste: Confusion around England’s bin rules continues, with experts warning common items like receipts and certain packaging are often sent to landfill instead of being recycled. Packaging shift: Footprint has bought Transcend Packaging’s PE-free hot and cold cups, aiming to cut plastic-lined paper waste by using a mineral-based coating made for recycling and home composting. EV charging progress (Scotland): New figures show Scotland leading on public EV charging points per head, with South Lanarkshire among the areas expanding access. North Sea energy tension: Scotland’s First Minister says North Sea decisions must be compatible with net zero, as ministers weigh Rosebank and Jackdaw amid rising political pressure. Aviation decarbonisation: Bristol Airport is set to host a liquid hydrogen flight demonstration before the end of the decade, backed by UK government funding to test hydrogen as a commercial fuel. Plastic tree-tube clean-up: The Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust says it has diverted about 85 tonnes of used plastic tree shelters from landfill by building a national collection and recycling network.