News Roundup 🗞️ EU Plastics Recycling Industry Warns of Imminent Collapse The European plastics recycling sector is in crisis. Falling demand, rising costs, and low-priced imports are pushing facilities to the brink. Industry leaders warn that by the end of 2025, Europe could lose at least 1 million tonnes of recycling capacity. Alasdair links …
Rubbish Talk Episode 74: Your Waste, Your Responsibility Read More »
News Roundup 📰 KKR Set to Sell Viridor for £7bn Private equity firm KKR is preparing to sell UK-based recycling and waste management giant Viridor, just five years after acquiring it for £4.2bn. With a potential sale price of around £7bn, the deal reflects the ongoing high value of waste infrastructure — despite …
Rubbish Talk Episode 73: Recover the Energy of Waste Produced Read More »
News Roundup Scotland’s Recycling Reality Check The Scottish Government has released a new report on waste reprocessing infrastructure, outlining how 15 key material streams are managed. While food waste and some streams are recycled locally, much of Scotland’s “recycling” is simply bulked up and sent elsewhere. Alasdair highlights the need for clearer stats that …
Rubbish Talk Episode 72: Recycle The Waste You Produce Read More »
This week on the Rubbish Talk Podcast we welcome a special guest – Michael Cook, Chief Executive Officer of Circular Communities Scotland – for an in-depth conversation about the role of community-led projects in building a circular economy. Michael’s journey into the sector wasn’t part of a grand plan; he began his career in …
News Roundup Plastics and Public Health The Lancet Medical Journal warns that plastics are harming health at every stage of life and costing the global economy $1.5 trillion annually. Alasdair and Jane reflect on the alarming scale of plastic production and waste, and share their concerns over microplastics in everyday items like coffee cups …
Rubbish Talk Episode 70: Deep Dive into Plasterboard Read More »
News Roundup UK Recycling Rate Rises… But Scotland Lags Behind New stats show the UK’s recycling rate rose to 44.6% in 2023, with Wales leading at 57% and Scotland trailing at 42.1%. While the numbers sound promising, they include incinerator bottom ash metals — and they’re already a year and a half out of …
Rubbish Talk Episode 69: Reuse The Waste You Produce Read More »
Rubbish Rant 🗑️ Why can’t we just take our litter home? In our first-ever official Rubbish Rant under the new podcast format, Alasdair kicks things off with a very relatable frustration: litter left behind on Scottish beaches after a sunny weekend. Despite bins being placed every 20 yards, people still leave glass bottles, overflowing …
Rubbish Talk Episode 68: Reduce The Waste You Produce Read More »
This week on Rubbish Talk, we sit down with Charlotte Davies, Senior Consultant in Resource Efficiency and Circularity at Beyondly and the first Early Careers President for CIWM. Charlotte brings energy, humour, and expertise to a wide-ranging conversation about the future of waste, sustainability, and what it means to make a meaningful impact early …
This week on Rubbish Talk, we’re joined by Rod Paterson, Senior Purchasing Manager at Ekman Recycling and Commercial Director at Alan Morris Recycling. With a career spanning nearly four decades, Rod takes us on a remarkable journey through the waste and recycling industry — from the early days of emptying septic tanks to steering …
Rubbish Talk Episode 66: Rod Paterson, Senior Purchasing Manager at Ekman Recycling Read More »
In episode 65 of Rubbish Talk, we sit down with Louise Robertson, founder of the Sustainables Academy, a volunteer-powered, not-for-profit organisation that’s rewriting how sustainability and waste are taught in schools worldwide. Louise draws on her years as a head teacher and part-time lecturer in the UK and beyond to explain why she felt …
Rubbish Talk Episode 65: Louise Robertson, Founder of the Sustainables Academy Read More »
