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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

The surge in usage of ‘GLP-1’-style weight loss medications is seeing a “ripple effect” begin to unfold, impacting eating patterns in a number of countries around the world, Rabobank says in recently released research.

Fonterra has reported total group profit after tax of $278 million for 1Q26, up $15 million on the same period last year, as the co-op now pushes ahead with its multi-year business reshaping and the divestment of Mainland Group.

The federal government has announced an additional $10 million in funding support for Australia’s wine and cider industry, through the Wine Tourism and Cellar Door Grants program, which is now on its seventh round.