In this episode of Rubbish Talk, we have the pleasure of speaking with Elspeth Watson, a dedicated Training Instructor for the Neighbourhood Regeneration and Sustainability Department at Glasgow City Council. Elspeth shares her passion for making a positive impact in Glasgow through her work in training and development.
Elspeth Watson began her journey with Glasgow City Council over 30 years ago with a two-day work experience in accounting. She quickly found her niche and moved into an administrative role, eventually transitioning into training—where she discovered her true calling. “I feel very lucky to have found a career I love and a role where I feel I’ve truly made a difference,” says Elspeth.
As part of a department that employs around 3,000 people, Elspeth plays a crucial role in delivering services that keep Glasgow a beautiful place to live. Her department focuses on parks, roads, and cleansing, ensuring that the city remains vibrant and sustainable. Elspeth emphasizes the beauty of training, stating, “We don’t just stop learning after school; learning is lifelong.”
The types of training she oversees include customer service, health and safety, inductions, apprenticeships, and sustainable resource management. Elspeth believes that the council’s waste employees are their most important resources, underscoring the value of investing in people.
Elspeth is passionate about nurturing young talent through apprenticeships. She seeks young people who are eager to learn and develop their knowledge, emphasizing the importance of turning up on time, being honest, and showing a willingness to learn. “We need more young people to come into the industry so we can pass our knowledge on to them,” she says.
As a trainer, Elspeth takes the time to get to know her candidates, understanding that each person has unique challenges. Her favourite aspect of the job is seeing people achieve their qualifications and succeed.
Looking ahead, Elspeth is optimistic about her future at Glasgow City Council, which offers excellent policies such as work-life balance and flexible retirement—both of which she has applied for. Since working in the waste industry, she has become more conscious of recycling and waste management.
Outside of work, Elspeth finds relaxation in spending time with her beloved cat, Pops, swimming, and walking. She also provides support for those with learning difficulties, which brings her immense joy and fulfilment.
For young people aspiring to enter the industry, Elspeth has this advice – “Always turn up on time. If there’s a problem, speak to someone, be honest, and show your willingness to learn.”
Useful Links
Glasgow City Council Job Vacancies
Environmental News Updates
The Circular Economy Bill: A New Era for Sustainability in Scotland
The Scottish Parliament has recently passed the landmark Circular Economy Bill, a significant step towards transforming the way Scotland manages its resources and waste. This comprehensive legislation aims to foster a sustainable, circular economy by introducing a range of measures designed to reduce waste, increase recycling, and promote the reuse of materials. Click here to read the key points from this groundbreaking bill.
CIWM have published a new white paper which calls for extended producer responsibility (EPR) for batteries (and products containing batteries) and a targeted deposit return scheme (DRS).
Fires caused by the batteries we throw away are causing a major crisis for there sources and waste sector, taxpayers, and the communities in which they occur.
Based on an extensive research report commissioned by CIWM and carried out by ENV23 LIMITED, the white paper identifies the lack of clear and impactful consumer information; the dramatic increase of batteries in everyday items; and the failure of producer responsibility rules to keep pace with the changing chemistry and pervasiveness of battery technology as the three main reasons for their incorrect disposal.
To read the full story click here.
Almost all of us have unwanted, broken cables clogging up our drawers, or have binned a flimsy cable when it broke.
Every cable contains precious copper, a material essential in everyday things that we take for granted – like our phones, our transport, clean energy, lifesaving medical equipment and our green future. And currently thousands of kilograms of copper are idle in our drawers or going to waste in landfill, instead of being repurposed or recycled.
Enter The Great Cable Challenge! A UK-wide challenge to recycle 1 million cables in the run up to International E-Waste Day (14th October 2024).
We’re looking for local communities, charities, community groups, retailers, schools and universities across the UK who can:
– Set up a pop-up cable and small electricals collection in their office, community, school or local area
– Promote the campaign across their channels
For more info, get in touch with: hello@materialfocus.org.uk
Click here to listen to Episode 15 with Scott Butler from Material Focus.
Hubbub Launches New Toolkit and Grants to Help Tackle Litter
The environmental charity Hubbub has launched a new website to help local authorities and other organisations combat litter using various tried and tested ideas.
Hubbub’s website will share the successes and learnings from their previous campaigns which include a project that installed over 5,000 Ballot Bins in 43 countries, which Hubbub said stopped an estimated 15 million cigarette butts from being littered a year.
Click here to listen to Episode 25 with Alex Robinson, The CEO of Hubbub.
Devon Man Sentenced to 32 Months for Dumping Asbestos Waste
Christopher Garrett has been jailed for 32 months and ordered to pay over £200,000 after he dumped around 12,000 tonnes of controlled mixed construction and demolition waste, including asbestos, on a floodplain in Devon. The Environment Agency said Garrett, 64, is thought to be the “worst offender” it has seen in Devon and Cornwall for the quantity of asbestos he illegally disposed of.
Garrett pleaded guilty to running a waste facility without a permit, and for disposing of waste material, namely asbestos, in a manner likely to harm the environment or human health.
The investigation established that Garrett had received hundreds of thousands of pounds for the illegal tipping and that it would cost at least £2.5 million to remediate the site. His combined financial benefit from the offending was put at £2.88 million, including the remediation costs.
Albion News
We discussed the quality of recycling bins and how they seem to have reduced in quality over the years! Are councils putting cost over quality?
Albion has recently allocated a Share Incentive Plan to all remaining staff, making all staff members, registered shareholders of the company. The staff that were registered this month will receive shares this time next year!
We have been looking at our listeners and have spotted a new listener over in the Falkland Islands, our guess is Craig Chandler!
We currently have a total of 52 countries who are tuning in to Rubbish Talk! We are very grateful for all of our listeners, and we aim to keep expanding.
Upcoming Training Courses!
2Day REHIS Course – REHIS Working with Waste Management Legislation
Tuesday 13th August – Wednesday 14th August
1 Day HWRC Course – Household Waste Recycling Centre Operators Course
Thursday 29th August 2024
Soil Waste Classification Course
Thursday 5th September 2024
Thursday 26th September 2024
Have you had a look at our Tik Tok 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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