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It all started when the Queen agreed to work alongside fellow 91-year-old Sir David Attenborough on a conservation documentary dealing with wildlife in the Commonwealth.

She became personally interested in the damage to oceans caused by dumped plastic.

One thing led to another, and the Queen has now declared war on plastic, banning straws and bottles from the Royal estates.

Buckingham Palace has outlined new waste plans, which will include gradually phasing out plastic straws and bottles in public cafes and banning them altogether in staff dining rooms.

Internal caterers at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh will now only be allowed to use china plates and glasses, or recyclable paper cups.

Takeaway food items in the Royal Collection cafes must also now be made of compostable or biodegradable packaging.

As well as the Queen’s interest, The Prince of Wales also regularly speaks about the damage to the oceans caused by dumped plastic and recently warned that the world was facing an "escalating ecological and human disaster" from refuse in the seas.

Buckingham Palace is currently undergoing a 10-year refurbishment program which will make the royal residence far more green, The Telegraph reported.

Food & Drink Business

Chocolate On Purpose has received the Social Enterprise Business award at the 2025 Australian Women's Small Business Champion Awards – celebrating Indigenous cultural knowledge of native botanicals and delicious chocolate.

An $8 million federal government grant program aimed at accelerating Australia’s seaweed industry has delivered new research capability, production infrastructure and international collaboration to support commercial growth of Asparagopsis, the methane-inhibiting seaweed used in livestock feed supplements.

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and NSW producer, The Gourmet Goat Lady, have completed a proof-of-concept project demonstrating that goat salami can be safely manufactured and sold in Australia, opening a new value-added opportunity for the goatmeat sector.