This week, we're moving to the second stage of the waste hierarchy — reuse! Alasdair and Jane unpack the importance of giving things a second life, whether it's takeaway tubs turned into lunchboxes, refilling your water bottle, or buying a jacket second hand.
News Roundup
UK Recycling: Up overall, but Scotland’s slipping
New stats show UK recycling rose to 44.6% in 2023, but Scotland fell behind at just 42.1%. Despite having food waste segregation for over a decade, public engagement still lags. Wales led the way again with 57%.
Zero Waste Scotland shake-up
Iain Gulland will step down as CEO of Zero Waste Scotland by the end of 2025. Alasdair hopes new leadership will take things back to basics and focus on building public understanding before pushing ambitious circular economy targets.
£1.1 billion for recycling infrastructure
The UK government has committed £1.1bn from packaging reforms to improve local recycling services. Businesses will now pay to cover the cost of managing the packaging they produce — a key part of extended producer responsibility (EPR).
Wet wipe ban on the way in Wales
Wales has announced a ban on plastic-containing wet wipes by December 2026, and England is consulting on doing the same. Scotland has yet to commit. Jane and Alasdair revisit the infamous London fatberg, made of congealed oils, wipes, and… Kit Kat wrappers.
Greenwash alert: Kit Kat’s "recyclable" wrapper
Kit Kat’s new plastic wrapper claims it can be recycled “if opened in one piece.” But Alasdair is sceptical — where can the public actually recycle it? And who’s collecting it? More greenwash than green action.
TikTok is buzzing
Our TikTok is gaining momentum! Alasdair’s video on plasterboard in skips racked up over 79K views, leading to next week’s episode topic: why plasterboard is banned from landfill, and what we can do with it.
Alasdair’s guest appearance on “The Gaffer”
He recently featured on The Gaffer podcast with Gavin Coyle to talk construction waste, plasterboard, and practical tips for small contractors. Link coming soon.
Topic: Reuse the Waste You Produce
Reusing is often the simplest and most effective way to cut waste. Alasdair explains it best: if every person in the UK reused a plastic bottle just once, we’d remove 68 million bottles from the system overnight. That's huge.
Jane and Alasdair chat about practical ways reuse shows up in daily life: reusable flasks, food containers, takeaway tubs, and yes — those trendy Stanley cups. They also touch on initiatives like BorrowCup in Glasgow and Circular Communities Scotland, which connects people to reuse and repair hubs near them.
They also revisit Episode 57 with Anthony Burns from ACS Clothing, a company pioneering clothing reuse, repairs, and rental at scale — showing that reuse isn't just for individuals, it's a business model too.
From Vinted to charity shops, repair cafés to secondhand tech, the tools are there — it’s just about building new habits.
Rubbish Rant: Misleading Headlines
This week’s rant? Sensationalist headlines. One paper claimed households could be fined £200 for binning toothpaste tubes incorrectly. The truth? New bin rules in England are targeting gross contamination, not honest mistakes.
Alasdair calls out the media for causing fear rather than clarity. And realistically, most toothpaste tubes aren’t even accepted in kerbside recycling — yet.
This week’s solution:
• Use items fully
• Know what your council accepts
• And don’t believe everything you read in bold print.