This week on Rubbish Talk, Alasdair is joined by Solomon Ede, Senior Enforcement Officer at West Lothian Council and Scottish Executive Representative for LARAC (Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee).
Solomon shares his journey into the waste sector, from working in Ghana to helping shape waste and recycling discussions across Scotland. Drawing on experiences from two very different waste management systems, he offers a unique perspective on how attitudes, infrastructure, and policy can influence environmental outcomes.
The conversation explores the importance of education, engagement, and behavioural change in improving recycling and reducing environmental crime. Solomon explains why helping people understand the impact of their actions is often more effective than enforcement alone.
Alasdair and Solomon also discuss littering, fly-tipping, and the challenges local authorities face when trying to tackle environmental offences. They reflect on the need for stronger support, better collaboration, and more effective systems to help councils deliver meaningful change.
One of the most interesting parts of the discussion centres around Solomon’s experiences working in both Ghana and the UK. He reflects on how waste management systems have evolved in Ghana over the last two decades, moving from largely informal collection and disposal methods towards more structured services and infrastructure. The comparison highlights both how far the UK has come and the importance of continuing to improve existing systems rather than taking them for granted.
The episode also explores the role of empathy in environmental enforcement. Solomon shares how frontline interactions with residents have shaped his approach to the job, explaining why understanding individual circumstances and communicating effectively can often achieve better outcomes than simply issuing penalties. His experiences provide a valuable insight into the human side of waste management and environmental compliance.
The discussion also covers the role of LARAC, the importance of local authority voices in policy development, and some of the key challenges facing the sector in the years ahead, including plastics, recycling performance, and public engagement.
A thoughtful conversation covering behavioural change, enforcement, recycling, policy, and the future of waste management in Scotland.
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