Episodes

This week, James and Robbie welcome Alice Rackley, CEO of Polytag, a groundbreaking company revolutionising plastic recycling with UV watermark technology. Trusted by major retailers like Aldi, Co-op, Ocado, and M&S, Polytag is set to cover 50% of UK domestic …

Did you know the packaging you buy today might be covered in invisible barcodes? These barcodes help recyclers to work out what type of plastic a yoghurt pot might be made of, or whether an empty bottle was full of …

Deposit Return Schemes are officially on the horizon! With the Government having recently passed legislation, there’s no better time to dive into the details. How exactly do these schemes work? Will we all really be returning our drinks bottles and …

Ho Ho Ho, and merry Christmas to all our listeners! In this jam-packed Christmas special we deep dive into tubs of chocolate (we feel this might be both metaphorical and literal this week). Why do the tubs and tins need …

James has recently (and we mean very recently - like a week ago), become a father! This led him to think about the sustainability of having a baby and what steps he would put in place as a new dad …

This week, James and Robbie are joined by Pierre Paslier, co-founder of Notpla, a groundbreaking company turning seaweed into sustainable alternatives to plastic. After winning the prestigious Earthshot Prize in 2022, Notpla has been making waves in the fight against …

Compostable plastic has grown significantly in the past few years as producers of packaging attempt to move away from conventional plastics. Why is this material so hard to collect and recycle? Plus, we explore how electrical items are collected, are …

It's that time of year again, Black Friday. Where did this manic sales season come from and how sustainable is it? In this episode, we discuss the growth of Black Friday and what the rise in online deliveries might be …

Disposable vapes are set to be banned by June 2025, but with an estimated 150 million still in circulation until then, what happens to these devices once they’re tossed in the bin? In this episode, we dive into the life …

Recent reports suggest that it is better to landfill our waste, rather than sending it for incineration. Can this possibly be true? In this episode, we dive into the nuances behind these reports, examining some key flaws in both the …

James and Robbie spend some time with Alex Robinson, CEO at Hubbub, a creative charity that inspires action that’s good for the environment, and for everyone. Hubbub's fun and innovative campaigns support individuals, households and communities to make a difference, …

Welcome, ghouls and goblins, to a spooky special of Talking Rubbish! This week, we explore the truly terrifying statistics behind the Halloween pumpkin. Plus, we will unravel the alchemy of chemical recycling, discuss what happens to that Halloween costume after …

Supermarkets are now collecting flexible plastic packaging, asking us to bag it up and return it. But with reports suggesting much of it ends up being burned, is our recycling effort going to waste? In this episode, we dive into …

Over the past couple of years, the UK government has banned certain plastics, from straws to balloon sticks. Find out the impact these bans can have and how they drive behaviour change. Plus, how are plastics sorted, can plastic toothbrushes …

It’s a statistic reported in lots of places: each week we supposedly eat a credit card’s worth of microplastic. But, is it true? Plus, the final three types of plastic, can blister packs be recycled and what happens to the …

James and Robbie have a chat with Nick Torday, co-founder and CEO at Bower Collective, a B Corp pioneering refill in the home. Bower Collective deliver cleaning and personal care products in plastic pouches, which are used, sent back and …

Easily the question James and Robbie get asked the most, 'why are cucumbers wrapped in plastic?'. A cucumber episode has been promised since episode one and it's finally time to answer the question! Plus, what types of plastic are out …

Every time we put out our bin for recycling, there is a cost. Currently, local councils pick up this bill but soon it will shift to the brands who sell us products. How will this work and what will it …

James has just got back from the Taylor Swift concert in London, how sustainable was the event? Plus, how are the metals sorted, can kitchen paper be recycled and are we going to see other changes in packaging because of …

Most of us want refillable packaging to work, but it seems to have continual bumps in the road, with trials getting cancelled and consumers struggling to engage. What have we learned from the trials that have taken place and what …

James is joined this week by Natalie Fée, founder of environmental charity City to Sea. James and Natalie have a wide ranging discussion, exploring; how Natalie managed to get all the retailers to switch their cotton buds to cardboard, reuse …

Why has the carrier bag charge not actually led to a reduction in plastic? Plus, how is glass sorted, can birthday cards be recycled and are the infamous cardboard Olympic beds better than more long term materials?

Do we all use more packaging when major sporting events are on? Plus, how are cardboard and paper recycled, can cork be recycled and should you use a plastic bottle to store flexible plastic before recycling?

Discover why coffee pods may not be that bad for the environment after all and how they can get recycled. Plus, how are cardboard and paper sorted, can aerosol cans be recycled and do you need to take tape off …