Show Notes
In 2022, the Government committed to introducing kerbside collections for flexible plastics by 2027. Last week, that deadline was pushed back to 2030, a decision that has left James and Robbie, who have spent years preparing for the original timeline, deeply frustrated. In this episode, we unpack what the delay means for one of the UK's most challenging waste streams, why it matters for consumers and the recycling industry, and how postponing collections could create a vicious cycle that hold...
More from Talking Rubbish - The Recycling Podcast
The Conservatives have pledged to scrap what they're calling Labour's packaging tax, despite having introduced the policy themselves. But would abolishing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) really save shoppers money, or simply shift the cost of dealing with packaging waste back to taxpayers? Is the system delivering value for money, does it need reform, or should it be scrapped altogether? Plus, are golf balls rubbish or not, is it worth storing bottles and cans now to claim the deposit ...
What happens when packaging promotions go horribly wrong? This week, James and Robbie explore some of the most spectacular marketing disasters in history. From Coca-Cola’s spring-loaded MagiCans and BrewDog’s not-so-solid gold cans to the Pepsi fighter jet that ended up in court, a bottle cap competition with devastating consequences, and the extraordinary fraud behind McDonald’s Monopoly. It turns out that once a promotion is out in the world, things can go very wrong, and putting them right...
After four episodes digging into deposit return schemes, we sit down with Julian Hunt from Exchange for Change to put some of our biggest questions directly to the organisation delivering the UK’s DRS. We discuss why drinks containers were chosen, whether DRS really reduces litter, how the 20p deposit was set, what happens to reverse vending machines at end of life, who is actually paying to get the scheme off the ground, and whether local authorities could lose out as valuable cans and bottl...
Norway gets around 98% of its bottles and cans back, so what makes its deposit return scheme work so well? This week, we unpack a system that is technically voluntary, yet has become one of the most successful in the world. We explore the tax that gives producers a huge incentive to hit their targets, the thousands of places consumers can return their drinks containers, what happens to all those bottles and cans once they’re collected, and whether convenience, money or Norwegian culture is re...
What if you could get your 20p deposit back without ever leaving the house? This week, we explore digital deposit return and why the seemingly simple idea of scanning a bottle or can and putting it in your recycling bin gets complicated very quickly. We look at the challenges of making DRS digital, the trials already taking place around the world, and whether the UK could be building one of the last generations of manual deposit return systems. Plus, are swimming caps rubbish or not, what hap...