Rubbish Talk

15/10/2026

♻️ Throwback Thursday | Episode 10: Pamela Knox-Welsh from Levenseat ♻️

It's time for another , as we continue revisiting some of our earlier conversations from the Rubbish Talk archive!

This week we're heading back to Episode 10, where Alasdair and Heather were joined by Pamela Knox-Welsh, Communications Manager at Levenseat, to hear about her career journey and her role within the waste and resources sector.

It's another chance to revisit one of our early guest conversations and hear a different perspective on working within Scotland's waste industry.

Whether you missed it back in 2023 or fancy another listen, give Episode 10 a revisit! 🎧

🔗 Listen here: https://rubbishtalk.co.uk/2023/05/09/episode-10-pamela-knox-welsh-communications-manager-at-levenseat/

08/10/2026

♻️ Throwback Thursday | Episode 9: Jim Brown from Binn Group ♻️

It's time for another , as we continue revisiting some of our earlier conversations from the Rubbish Talk archive!

This week we're heading back to Episode 9, where Alasdair and Heather were joined by Jim Brown from Binn Group to chat about his experience in the waste and resources sector.

It's another opportunity to hear from someone working within Scotland's waste industry and revisit one of our early guest conversations.

Whether you missed it back in 2023 or fancy another listen, give Episode 9 a revisit! 🎧

🔗 Listen here: https://rubbishtalk.co.uk/2023/04/27/episode-9-jim-brown-from-binn-group/

06/10/2026

📱 Could better communication help Scotland recycle more?

During a recent discussion on BBC Radio Scotland, Amanda Young highlighted the role technology could play in making recycling simpler for residents – including MyBins.

Amanda spoke about a common problem: when people aren't sure which bin something belongs in, it can often become a case of “if in doubt, chuck it out.”

💬 “We could put the postcode into the MyBins app and see what the differences are in real time.”

With MyBins, councils can provide residents with local information specific to their area and use targeted notifications to communicate directly with households.

Amanda also highlighted the potential for technology like MyBins to create a wider waste communication mechanism – making it easier for residents to understand what goes where and helping to reduce confusion around recycling.

🎥 Hear what Amanda had to say below.

01/10/2026

♻️ Throwback Thursday | Episode 8: Jenny Grant from the Renewable Energy Association ♻️

It’s time for another , as we continue revisiting some of the earlier conversations from the Rubbish Talk archive!

This week we're heading back to Episode 8, where Alasdair and Heather were joined by Jenny Grant, Head of Organics and Natural Capital at the REA, who at the time had been working in the organics and recycling industry for 20 years.

Jenny chats about her career journey and her work with government, regulators, compost producers and AD operators. The conversation also explores food waste, its impact and why recycling our unavoidable food waste is so important.

Whether you missed it back in 2023 or fancy another listen, revisit Episode 8 this week! 🎧

🔗 Listen here: https://rubbishtalk.co.uk/2023/04/13/episode-8-jenny-grant-from-the-renewable-energy-association/

28/09/2026

Did we just hear Rubbish Talk on BBC Radio Scotland? 👀

It’s not every day you hear Jeremy Vine mention Rubbish Talk on BBC Radio!

During a discussion on Scotland’s landfill capacity and recycling challenges, our host Alasdair Meldrum joined the conversation alongside Kim Pratt from Friends of the Earth Scotland – with Jeremy giving Rubbish Talk a mention along the way. 🎧

The discussion focused on an issue we’ve been talking about a lot recently: what happens to Scotland’s residual waste as landfill capacity continues to reduce?

Alasdair explained that while we absolutely need to reduce, reuse and recycle more, landfill is still essential for certain waste streams that cannot currently be recycled or sent to Energy from Waste facilities.

🎥 Watch the clip below – and listen out for the Rubbish Talk shoutout!

Want to hear more on the topic? We recently dedicated a full episode to it:

🎧 Episode 123 – Is Scotland Running Out of Space for Residual Waste?
https://rubbishtalk.co.uk/2026/08/20/rubbish-talk-episode-123-is-scotland-running-out-of-space-for-residual-waste/

24/09/2026

♻️ Throwback Thursday | Episode 7: Simon Glen ♻️

It’s again, and this week we're heading back to Episode 7 of Rubbish Talk!

Simon Glen was actually our first guest who purposely set out to enter the waste industry!

Alasdair and Heather chat with Simon about his journey from studying economics, philosophy and social science to completing a Masters in Waste Management – and never looking back.

Simon also shares some of the people who influenced his career along the way and talks about the variety of projects and roles he has worked across within the sector.

Whether you missed it back in 2023 or fancy another listen, revisit Episode 7 this week! 🎧

🔗 Listen here: https://rubbishtalk.co.uk/2023/03/30/episode-7-with-simon-glen/

17/09/2026

♻️ Throwback Thursday | Episode 6: Ruth Innes from NHS Scotland Assure ♻️

It’s time for another , as we continue revisiting some of the earlier conversations from the Rubbish Talk archive!

This week we're heading back to Episode 6, where Alasdair and Heather were joined by Ruth Innes from NHS Scotland Assure to chat about her career and her experience working within the waste and resources sector.

It’s another chance to revisit one of our early guest conversations and hear a different perspective from within the industry.

Whether you missed it back in 2023 or fancy listening again, give Episode 6 a revisit!

🎧 Listen here: https://rubbishtalk.co.uk/2023/03/23/episode-6-ruth-innes-from-nhs-scotland-assure/

14/09/2026

♻️ “We expected more for people and our environment.”

Keep Scotland Beautiful has responded to the Scottish Government’s latest Programme for Government, welcoming its ambition for public service reform – but raising concerns about the level of focus given to some of Scotland’s environmental challenges.

In particular, they highlight the need for greater emphasis on:

🌱 Climate and nature education
🚮 Tackling Scotland’s litter problem
🏘️ Clean, green and sustainable communities
💷 Long-term investment in environmental action

Keep Scotland Beautiful says that while tackling the climate and nature emergencies remains a key theme, important issues affecting communities and local environments risk being overlooked.

With Scotland also working towards its circular economy and Net Zero ambitions, is enough priority being given to what’s happening on the ground in our communities?

💬 What do you think – should litter, local environmental quality and climate education be higher up the agenda?

🔗 Read the full statement from Keep Scotland Beautiful:
https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/news/2026/september/we-expected-more-for-people-and-our-environment/

Keep Scotland Beautiful's CEO issues statement on Programme for Government - we expected more for people and our environment

10/09/2026

♻️ Throwback Thursday | Episode 5: Robin Baird from Cireco ♻️

Another , as we continue working our way through the Rubbish Talk archives!

This week we're revisiting Episode 5, where Alasdair and Heather sat down with Robin Baird, CEO of Cireco, to hear about his journey into the waste and resources sector and his role at Cireco.

Robin also shares some great advice for anyone starting out in their career – along with a bit of life advice inspired by the poem ‘The Man in the Mirror’.

The episode also covers some of the waste news making headlines at the time, including Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme and the risks associated with sky lanterns.

Whether you missed it back in 2023 or fancy another listen, give Episode 5 a revisit!

🔗 https://rubbishtalk.co.uk/2023/03/13/episode-5-robin-baird-ceo-of-cireco/

03/09/2026

♻️ Throwback Thursday | Episode 4: Laura Tainsh from Davidson Chalmers Stewart ♻️

We're delving back into the Rubbish Talk archives for another !

This week we're revisiting Episode 4, featuring Laura Tainsh from Davidson Chalmers Stewart, for a conversation looking at the legal side of the waste and environmental sector.

It's another great opportunity to rediscover one of our earliest guest episodes – or listen for the first time if you missed it back in 2023!

🎧 Listen here: https://rubbishtalk.co.uk/2023/03/01/episode-4-laura-tainsh-from-davidson-chalmers-stewart/

Have you been listening since the early days of Rubbish Talk? Let us know below! 👇