Episode 36 is here, and we’re thrilled to introduce our special guest, Louise Cowan! Louise, a Director in the Climate team at Local Partnerships, brings a wealth of experience and insight from her extensive work in the Waste and Resources Sector across the UK.
In her current role, Louise supports Public Sector Organizations to develop ambitious policies and strategically plan for resilient services. With a focus on collaboration and innovation, she’s been instrumental in driving impactful initiatives, particularly alongside the Welsh Government on the Deposit Return Scheme.
Louise’s journey into the Waste Industry is both unique and inspiring. From chance encounters at a beer festival to her invaluable experiences at Zero Waste Scotland, she’s embraced every opportunity to make a difference. And let’s not forget her memorable stint as Eco the Elf at Burnley Borough Council!
Beyond her professional endeavours, Louise’s commitment to sustainability shines through in her personal life. From her eco-conscious wedding to her mindful approach to travel and lifestyle choices, she leads by example in making positive environmental impacts.
When she’s not busy advocating for a greener future, Louise enjoys unwinding with her beloved golden retriever Millie and pursuing her passion for running. With a marathon in Chicago on the horizon, there’s no slowing down for this dynamic individual!
As Louise looks ahead, her focus remains on driving positive change, particularly in Scotland, where she hopes to continue growing and evolving with Local Partnerships.
Louise encourages aspiring professionals to join CIWM, attend events and conferences, and engage with others in the Waste Community. Networking and building relationships are key to success, so don’t hesitate to connect with industry peers and explore diverse career paths within the Waste Management Sector.
Useful Links
Connect with Louise on Linked In
Environmental News Updates
Deposit Return Scheme Delayed until 2027
The UK government has announced a delay to the scheduled October 2025 start date of a UK-wide Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), which will now roll back to October 2027. This confirmed the expectation set by a 26 March statement from Environment Secretary Steve Barclay, that a delay was to be expected given the need to ensure alignment between the UK Parliament and the various devolved administrations.
Optimum Eco Group –CCL Ltd. and Restructa Ltd.
Leading sister recycling companies CCL (North) Ltd and Restructa Ltd have united under a newly formed parent company as both businesses set their sights on growth and an expansion of services.
Led by Bruce Mclean who we had on Episode 19 of Rubbish Talk, CCL and Restructa continue to operate as specialist brands under the new Optimum Eco Group Holdings.
Alasdair chats through the innovative work Optimum Eco Group Holdings show cased at a recent RMAS Open Day. CCL specialises in secure data destruction, IT and WEEE recycling, while Restructa focuses on TV and monitor recycling. In addition to its existing capabilities, the group has some innovative ideas in products in specialist areas such as testing for Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), mobile app for scanning POP’s database and Management and Fire Prevention of Batteries in WEEE.
Plot that Plastic App – Now Live!
This app has been created as a Forest Plastics Working Group project, which aims to map where plastic tree guards are in the environment across the UK, we can then use that data to help coordinate the removal of these plastics when they are no longer required, remove legacy plastic tree guards and best place recycling hubs across the country.
Seen a plastic tree guard/shelter? You can map it either on your desktop or via the app, get involved and have a go!
-foot pedal to open
-feedback screen
– a fill level indicator
– a cigarette section
– a solar panel
After having a look at the supplier, we realised it is also a compaction bin, which sends details to the council when it is full and can also text or has audio to thank the public for using the bin! The challenge is “just” to get the public to use them now. Well Done South Ayrshire Council!
Albion News
Advance warning – Albion are delighted to have been asked by Nicki Souter from RMAS, to host an Albion Open Day which will take place sometime in June next month. The aim of this open day is to showcase the different work we carry out at Albion which will be presented by our staff members.
This week we had our 2 Day Training Course on “REHIS Working with Waste Management Legislation” provided by our trainer Jane Bond. The course went very well, and we would like to thank everyone who attended.
One of our Staff Members – Andrew Howlett recently went on an AI Course learning all about Chat GPT and the different functions of AI which gave him lots of creativity, leading him to ask AI to make us a song all about Albion! Stay tuned in this episode to hear our song at the end!
Have you had a look at our TikTok Account yet?
We have recently introduced a fortnightly video called “Meet the Team Monday” where we interview our staff and to find out their job roles, favourite part about their job, favourite/funny memory and a “which colleague is most likely to…” question to add some humour. Make sure to follow us and check out our videos.
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