Rubbish Talk Podcasts

  News Roundup Landfill Ban Enforcement Paused (SEPA Temporary Approach) Scotland’s long-awaited landfill ban has been delayed once again, as SEPA introduces a temporary enforcement approach to give operators more time to comply. Under the new framework, landfill operators can apply for six-month extensions if they can prove there’s no viable alternative for disposal. Alasdair …

Rubbish Talk Episode 83: Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) Read More »

This week, Alasdair is joined by Amanda Young, an engineering PhD student at the University of the West of Scotland, who’s taking the fight to fly-tipping, quite literally — she’s a two-time ISKA world kickboxing champion!   Amanda’s research focuses on the relationship between kerbside bulky-waste collections and fly-tipping across Scotland, digging into why so …

Rubbish Talk Episode 82: Fighting Fly-Tipping with Amanda Young Read More »

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 …

Rubbish Talk Episode 81: Fridge Recycling Waste Journey Read More »

  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 …

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

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 …

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

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 …

Rubbish Talk Episode 78: Recycling Collection Systems Read More »

  News Roundup Wet Wipe Island on the Thames A 180-tonne “island” of congealed wet wipes has formed along a 250m stretch of the Thames near Hammersmith Bridge — roughly the size of two tennis courts and up to a metre high. Thames Water is bringing in an 8-ton excavator to remove it, but Alasdair …

Rubbish Talk Episode 77: Waste Collection Methods Read More »

  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 …

Rubbish Talk Episode 76: Landfill – The Last Resort? Read More »

  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 …

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

  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 »