RubbishTalk

Landfill Ban Delay till 2028 – Where It Went Wrong?

The announcement yesterday that the enforcement of the Biodegradable Landfill ban Purpose was being delayed until 1st January 2028, got me thinking about where the landfill ban journey started and that was back in 2010 with the publication of Scotland’s Zero Waste Plan.   At the time this was an ambitious, forward thinking plan with …

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Rubbish Talk Episode 81: Fridge Recycling Waste Journey

This week, Alasdair and Jane start with a listener shout-out!   A big thanks to Deborah Saxton from Saxton Consultancy, who got in touch after our AD episode to share news of a Spanish company developing food waste pre-treatment tech — sounds like a future guest in the making!    And our favourite confession of the …

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From Dustbins to Wheelie Bins: John’s Walk Down Memory Lane

(Inspired by an email from John Crawford, Rubbish Talk Listener and Guest on Episode 53)    Every so often, one of our listeners takes us right back to the roots of waste collection — to the days when dustbins clanged, ash filled the air, and “health and safety” was a foreign concept.    After tuning …

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Rubbish Talk Episode 80: What Happens To Your Food Waste?

  News Roundup Renewables Overtake Coal as the World’s Top Power Source According to BBC News, renewable energy — mainly solar and wind — has overtaken coal as the world’s largest source of electricity for the first half of this year. While China and India lead the charge, richer nations like the US and EU …

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Rubbish Talk Episode 79: Larry Kotch, CEO of Flybox®

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3tPABj6gJpCKNGs1tXQzcp?si=ZNbJJ502TMGFm5DEVRW42Q This week we sit down with Larry Kotch, CEO of Flybox®, to explore how black soldier fly larvae can transform organic by-products into high-value protein and fertiliser (frass). Larry’s route to insects started at university, studying environmental governance and waste policy in South Africa. A dissertation on early insect operations “bit him by the …

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Rubbish Talk Episode 78: Recycling Collection Systems

News Roundup Scotland’s £1.3 Billion Food Waste Problem A new Zero Waste Scotland report reveals households are binning £1.3 billion worth of food every year — that’s around £234 per person, or nearly £100 a month for the average family. Shockingly, 73% of that waste was edible. Overcooking, poor planning, and not using food in …

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From Dustmen to Wheelie Bins: The Evolution of Household Waste Management in the UK

The management of solid waste in the United Kingdom has undergone profound changes over the past two centuries, reflecting broader shifts in urbanisation, public health, technology, and environmental awareness. What began as rudimentary disposal methods has evolved into a highly regulated, multi-stream collection system designed to minimise environmental impact and promote resource recovery.   In …

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Rubbish Talk Episode 76: Landfill – The Last Resort?

  News Roundup 🗞️ Fire at S Norton’s Glasgow East Facility Another week, another fire — this time at S Norton’s Glasgow East site. Six fire appliances and a high-reach vehicle were called out on 10 September, though thankfully no one was injured. Alasdair points out that around four refuse collection vehicles catch fire every …

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Rubbish Talk Episode 75: Andy Rees OBE, Head of Waste Strategy at the Welsh Government

  This week on the Rubbish Talk Podcast we welcome a special guest – Andy Rees OBE, Head of Waste Strategy at the Welsh Government – for a fascinating conversation about how Wales became a global leader in recycling and what the rest of the UK can learn from their approach.   Andy’s career spans …

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