Welcome to the new format of Rubbish Talk!
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 bags, and general waste scattered around — creating hazards for wildlife and kids alike.
Jane jumps in to highlight the absurdity: if you managed to carry your full bottles and picnic gear to the beach, surely you can carry the lighter, empty waste back? Not to mention the seagull buffet that results when bags are left beside bins.
The Rubbish Talk Rule: No rant without a solution!
This week’s fix? Take your litter home and recycle it properly — it’s easier, cleaner, and safer for everyone.
This Weeks Topic: Reduce the Waste You Produce
The best waste is the waste you never create.
This week, Alasdair and Jane unpack the very top of the waste hierarchy: waste prevention. While most people jump straight to recycling, it’s actually the third best option — and this episode explores how to stop waste before it even starts.
Don’t need it? Don’t buy it.
Alasdair kicks things off with the perfect example: the running race t-shirt drawer. How many freebies do we really need? Instead, opt for charity donations or tree-planting schemes if you’re given the choice.
Say no to plastic tat.
Whether it's kids’ toys from fast food meals or birthday party clutter, there’s a massive opportunity to rethink what we gift and consume. Jane recalls McDonald’s Happy Meal toys — fun for 5 minutes, landfill for 500 years.
Borrow, don’t buy.
Libraries, toy libraries, tool libraries — they're all brilliant alternatives to purchasing things you’ll only use once. Plus, they help rebuild that old-school community spirit of sharing what you already have.
Shop with a plan
Impulse buys, over-ordering food, falling for “Buy One Get One Free” deals — these all lead to waste. Planning meals, checking your cupboards, and asking "do I really need this?" before clicking buy can make a massive difference.
Your challenge this week:
Before you buy anything — online or in-store — take a moment to check if you already have it, really need it, or can borrow it instead. Let us know how you get on at hello@rubbish.co.uk or tag us on social media!
News Roundup
Alasdair Eats McDonald’s for the First Time in 10 Years
What followed was an impromptu waste audit: 93 grams of packaging from one meal. Multiply that by 1.4 billion UK orders per year, and that’s 130,000 tonnes of waste, much of which won’t be recycled.
Despite most packaging being technically recyclable, fast-food waste often ends up in overflowing bins or as litter. Alasdair even made a few videos breaking this down — check them out on our TikTok @rubbishtalkpodcast to see the waste in action!
Dutch Innovation Tackles River Plastics
The Netherlands has developed the world’s first self-sorting microplastic trap for rivers — using only water flow physics.
Inspired by fish gills, the trap filters out plastic while allowing natural debris to pass through, collecting up to 82% of floating plastic waste — without power or moving parts. It’s a smart step in fighting pollution at the source.
Landfill Ban Looms in Scotland
Scotland’s 2026 landfill ban on biodegradable waste is fast approaching — and the country is not ready. With limited incineration (waste-to-energy) capacity and some plants shutting down, the waste industry is facing a huge challenge.
We're potentially looking at 90+ lorries a day transporting waste to England, just to keep up. It’s a logistical, environmental, and policy mess that desperately needs attention.