Welcome to another insightful episode of Rubbish Talk, where we dig into the world of waste, sustainability, and community engagement. In Episode 52, we had the pleasure of chatting with Sarah Cartmill, Community Liaison Manager at MVV Environment, Dundee’s Energy from Waste facility. With three years of experience in the waste industry, Sarah is passionate about educating and inspiring people to reduce, reuse and recycle their waste.
Sarah works at MVV Environment, an innovative combined heat and power facility that processes 200,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste annually. Since its partnership began in 2017 with Dundee City Council and Angus Council, MVV has been converting waste into 10 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 23,000 homes—or a third of Dundee! Sarah invites schools, community groups, and visitors to witness this transformation firsthand, leaving them inspired to make better waste management choices.
As Community Liaison Manager, Sarah leads creative initiatives to foster awareness about recycling and sustainability. Her work includes:
- Hosting facility tours, STEM activities, and open days.
- Delivering educational presentations at schools, colleges, and community groups.
- Developing impactful projects that combine creativity, education, and environmental stewardship.
For Sarah, the highlight is seeing young people, especially sceptical teenagers, leave these sessions not only smiling but also motivated to adopt sustainable habits.
Sarah’s path into waste management was anything but traditional. Before joining MVV, she was passionate about travelling, with roles at TUI that took her from snowy slopes to sunny beaches. When COVID-19 forced her to return to Scotland, she sought a career with purpose. After a stint in sales with the NWH Group, her passion for sustainability blossomed, leading her to her dream role at MVV.
Her love for problem-solving and environmental solutions made her the perfect fit for the industry.
Sarah doesn’t just promote sustainability at work—it’s a lifestyle. She’s a recycling advocate among family and friends and actively promotes “leaving no trace” on hikes, drinking tap water instead of bottled, and tackling littering.
While climate change discussions can feel daunting, Sarah emphasises focusing on solutions rather than problems. Her role allows her to engage in forward-thinking, hope-filled conversations that energise her and her audiences to act.
Sarah encourages young people to take risks, follow their passions, and embrace their unique journey. “Find what you love, and figure out how to get paid for it,” she advises. For Sarah, this approach has been transformative, and she inspires others to seek out adventure and embrace life’s challenges.
While Sarah jokes about becoming a CEO, her current focus is on staying happy and making a difference in her community. “If I wake up excited to go to work, that’s what matters,” she says.
Don’t miss this episode of Rubbish Talk! Tune in to hear Sarah’s journey, her insights into waste management, and the passion that drives her to create a cleaner and more sustainable future.
Environmental News Updates
I Know Where in Landfill My Missing £600m Fortune Is,
Computer Expert Tells Court
What would you do if you knew your £600 million Bitcoin fortune was buried in a landfill? That’s the predicament James Howells is facing as he fights to recover a lost hard drive containing his treasure.
Jane couldn’t believe it when she learned he’s trying to dig through mountains of landfill waste to retrieve it. “It’s like a needle in a haystack!” she exclaimed. Alasdair shared similar doubts, adding, “We used to get people asking us to find their lost jewellery in a truckload of rubbish—that was hard enough, let alone searching through years’ worth of landfill!”
Both agree it’s an ambitious task, but they’re fascinated by James’s determination. If you’re curious about his story or want to help, click the link to learn more.
Chapter 11 Net Zero & Energy – Scottish Budget 2025 to 2026
Ever wondered where the funding for Scotland’s environmental initiatives goes? Alasdair and Jane have been delving into the Scottish Budget, uncovering some intriguing details about the funding for Zero Waste Scotland and other environmental services like SEPA.
Alasdair noticed some confusion in the budget lines: “There’s one for Zero Waste and another for Zero Waste Scotland, but for last year and this year, there’s nothing listed under Zero Waste Scotland—then suddenly £16.4 million appears for next year!” Jane agreed, pointing out that even with these figures, overall spending has dropped by £5 million compared to previous years.
Jane also mentioned the Scottish Government’s slip-ups, like referring to SEPA as the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency rather than the correct Scottish Environment Protection Agency. “They always get it wrong,” she laughed.
The pair noted Zero Waste Scotland’s new designation as an NDPB (Non-Departmental Public Body). While Jane and Alasdair puzzled over what exactly has changed, they appreciated insights from listeners like Andy Dick, who chipped in with helpful clarifications.
If you’re as curious as they are, click the link to explore the budget for yourself and share your thoughts with us: hello@rubbishtalk.co.uk
SEPA’s “Duly Made” Challenges
Jane and Alasdair tackled frustrations with SEPA’s permitting process in this week’s episode. Applicants are filling out forms and providing the required information, yet SEPA is rejecting applications as “not duly made,” while retaining 20% of the fees for rejections.
“Before, you could have discussions to resolve issues, but now it’s just rejections,” said Jane. Alasdair called the process a “money-making venture,” emphasising that the real costs for operators are the technical reports and investments, not SEPA’s fees.
Confusing forms add to the frustration. Jane recounted, “We were told to tick one box, so we did—only to be rejected for not ticking another box!” Both hosts hope SEPA’s digitisation efforts, planned for 2025, will improve things.
Ultimately we should all be working together to make the process as smooth as possible for the overall benefit of “Scotland PLC”, and not be putting artificial barriers in place for companies trying to progress and invest in their sites.
If you’ve faced issues with SEPA applications, reach out, in confidence, to hello@rubbishtalk.co.uk to share your experience!
Limbs in the Loch: Catching a Killer – Murder of Barry Wallace
Jane and Alasdair highlighted the BBC’s six-part documentary Limbs in the Loch: Catching a Killer, which recounts the shocking murder of Barry Wallace by William Beggs.
“This isn’t light viewing,” Alasdair warned, sharing that the investigation involved searching a landfill site—a topic they’ll delve into during Episode 53. For those wanting to get ahead of the discussion, Alasdair recommends watching the series.
“This isn’t exactly Christmas Day family viewing,” he added, but it’s a gripping, thought-provoking look at a harrowing case.
Catch the series on BBC now and stay tuned for Episode 53 for deeper insights!
Albion News
Clearing the Air on CIWM
We’ve had some feedback from our listeners, and it’s time to clear up a little misunderstanding! It seems we haven’t properly spelled out what CIWM stands for correctly —it’s the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management.(Yes, it’s a mouthful, which is why most of us just say “C-I-W-M”!).
Most of us call it the “institute” and miss of the “s” on wastes!
Thanks to listener George Niblock for catching that! If you enjoyed George’s insights, don’t forget to check out his episode—Episode 11—for more waste management wisdom.
We’re all about learning and improving here at Rubbish Talk, so keep the feedback coming!
Sorry, Nick!
Whoops, our bad! In a recent episode, co-host Jane referred to Nick Noble as “that bloke with the robots,” and we’ve since learned that Nick wasn’t thrilled with the nickname.
Nick, we meant no harm—we love the work you’re doing, and your episode was a highlight for us!
To all our listeners, check out Episode 40 to hear about the amazing innovations Nick is bringing to the waste industry!
Wishing You a Merry Christmas!
From all of us at Rubbish Talk, we wish you a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! We can’t believe it’s our second Christmas with Rubbish Talk, and we couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you fortuning in and supporting us along the way. Help us keep the conversation going by liking, commenting, and sharing our content—it really makes a difference.
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Rubbish Talk Strava Club: Challenges for Everyone
The Rubbish Talk Strava Club is encouraging the community to stay active, with monthly challenges like the “November 10 and 10 Challenge” (10 minutes of activity for 10 days) and the current “December 15 and 15 Challenge”.
Sign up to the Rubbish Talk Strava Club Now!
Christmas Countdown: Rubbish Talk Edition
The Rubbish Talk advent calendar is in full swing, featuring highlights from previous episodes. Check our Rubbish Talk LinkedIn and Facebook Pages as the countdown to Christmas continues with more surprises and memorable moments from the podcast archives.
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2025 Training Courses Available Now!
REHIS – Introduction to Waste Management
📅 Tuesday 21st January 2025
📅 Thursday 17th April 2025
REHIS – Working with Waste Management Legislation Course
📅 Tuesday 11th – Wednesday 12th February 2025
📅 Wednesday 7th May – Wednesday 14th May 2025
📅 Thursday 6th March 2025
📅 Wednesday 26th March 2025
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