Episode 115: Anna Willetts, Environmental Criminal Lawyer & Partner at Gunnercooke

Episode 115: Anna Willetts, Environmental Criminal Lawyer & Partner at Gunnercooke

This week on Rubbish Talk, Alasdair is joined by Dr Anna Willetts, Partner at Gunnercooke, environmental criminal lawyer, and Immediate Past President of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM). With over 15 years of experience advising businesses on environmental compliance and enforcement, Anna brings a unique combination of legal expertise, a PhD in landfill engineering, and experience as an environmental consultant. This gives her a fascinating perspective on the challenges facing the waste and resource sector today. Anna shares her journey into the industry, from studying landfill engineering and working in consultancy to becoming a specialist environmental lawyer. Along the way, she has worked with businesses across the sector, helping them navigate complex legislation, regulatory investigations and enforcement action. A major focus of the conversation is waste crime and the increasing public attention on large-scale illegal waste sites. Anna discusses the role of regulators, organised crime groups and the wider challenges involved in tackling environmental offending. She reflects on the importance of ensuring enforcement is targeted effectively, while also supporting legitimate operators who are trying to do the right thing. Alasdair and Anna also explore how environmental regulation has evolved over the years, the growing complexity of compliance requirements, and the challenges businesses face in managing duty of care responsibilities across increasingly complicated supply chains. The discussion covers digital waste tracking, battery fires, disposable vapes and the practical realities of balancing environmental protection with day-to-day operations. The episode also touches on Anna’s time as President of CIWM, the importance of collaboration across the sector, and why attracting and supporting the next generation of waste professionals is more important than ever. Throughout the conversation, Anna highlights the critical role the waste industry plays in protecting both the environment and public health. A fascinating and thought-provoking discussion covering waste crime, environmental law, regulation, recycling and the future of resource management.

Episode 114: Vapes, Fires & Waste News Roundup

This week on Rubbish Talk, Jane and Alasdair return with another packed news roundup, focusing on one of the waste sector's biggest ongoing challenges: vapes and lithium batteries. They discuss the impact of the disposable vape ban one year on, proposals for a £5 vape deposit scheme, and the worrying rise in fires linked to e-cigarettes despite increased awareness campaigns. The conversation explores why batteries continue to end up in household bins and what more can be done to improve collection and recycling rates. The episode also covers a range of other waste sector stories, including Egypt's famous "Garbage City", the potential cost implications of extending the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to Energy from Waste facilities, progress towards the UK's Deposit Return Scheme, and the latest update on the clean-up of one of Europe's largest illegal waste sites. As always, Jane and Alasdair finish with a rant, returning to the issue of batteries in bins and the ongoing fire risk facing the waste industry. A wide-ranging discussion covering recycling, waste crime, policy developments, sustainability, and the importance of getting batteries and vapes recycled properly. For news links please head the episode on our website. [https://rubbishtalk.co.uk/category/rubbishtalk-podcasts/]

Episode 113: by Solomon Ede, Senior Enforcement Officer at West Lothian Council

This week on Rubbish Talk, Alasdair is joined by Solomon Ede, Senior Enforcement Officer at West Lothian Council and Scottish Executive Representative for LARAC (Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee). Solomon shares his journey into the waste sector, from working in Ghana to helping shape waste and recycling discussions across Scotland. Drawing on experiences from two very different waste management systems, he offers a unique perspective on how attitudes, infrastructure, and policy can influence environmental outcomes The conversation explores the importance of education, engagement, and behavioural change in improving recycling and reducing environmental crime. Solomon explains why helping people understand the impact of their actions is often more effective than enforcement alone. Alasdair and Solomon also discuss littering, fly-tipping, and the challenges local authorities face when trying to tackle environmental offences. They reflect on the need for stronger support, better collaboration, and more effective systems to help councils deliver meaningful change. One of the most interesting parts of the discussion centres around Solomon's experiences working in both Ghana and the UK. He reflects on how waste management systems have evolved in Ghana over the last two decades, moving from largely informal collection and disposal methods towards more structured services and infrastructure. The comparison highlights both how far the UK has come and the importance of continuing to improve existing systems rather than taking them for granted. The episode also explores the role of empathy in environmental enforcement. Solomon shares how frontline interactions with residents have shaped his approach to the job, explaining why understanding individual circumstances and communicating effectively can often achieve better outcomes than simply issuing penalties. His experiences provide a valuable insight into the human side of waste management and environmental compliance. The discussion also covers the role of LARAC, the importance of local authority voices in policy development, and some of the key challenges facing the sector in the years ahead, including plastics, recycling performance, and public engagement. A thoughtful conversation covering behavioural change, enforcement, recycling, policy, and the future of waste management in Scotland.

Episode 112: Connor Benton & Serena Powell, Go4Greener

This week on Rubbish Talk, Alasdair is joined by Connor Benton and Serena Powell from Go4Greener, a Derby-based hazardous waste company specialising in everything from commodity recycling and WEEE to hazardous waste treatment and innovative new technologies. The conversation explores the wide range of activities carried out at Go4Greener, including hazardous waste handling, WEEE dismantling, and their exciting new Advetec aerobic digestion system, which is being used to process offensive hygiene waste such as nappies and sanitary products into SRF (Solid Recovered Fuel) as an alternative to fossil fuels. Serena explains her role as both site chemist and site manager, covering everything from hazardous waste testing and classification to operations, health and safety, and customer site visits. She shares how she originally studied chemistry without ever considering the waste sector as a career option, before taking a chance on a hazardous waste role near home — and quickly realising just how varied and interesting the industry could be. Connor, now Technical Director, also entered the sector by accident through an apprenticeship, before becoming fascinated by the complexity and scale of the waste industry. Together, they discuss how waste management offers a huge variety of career paths, combining technical knowledge, operations, logistics, compliance and commercial work all within one industry. One of the main topics of the episode is Go4Greener’s new Advetec XL22 system. The technology uses an aerobic digestion process to treat offensive hygiene waste over a 72-hour period, reducing moisture content and converting the remaining material into SRF suitable for use in cement kilns. Connor explains how the process works, from shredding and adding a biological stimulant through to controlled heating and continuous monitoring of moisture levels and emissions. The pair also discuss the challenges of bringing innovative technology into the waste sector, including the lengthy permitting process and the barriers companies can face when trying to introduce new ideas. Serena reflects on the experience of helping secure the permit for the Advetec plant, while Connor highlights the importance of regulators and industry working together to support innovation rather than automatically saying no to new approaches. The discussion also touches on battery recycling, WEEE dismantling, and the growing concern around lithium batteries and vapes. Connor explains that while Go4Greener can safely collect and store many battery types, there are still limited treatment options within the UK, meaning a significant amount of waste continues to be exported overseas for processing. Both guests reflect on the future of the industry and the importance of education — not just for the public, but also for students and young professionals who may never realise the opportunities available within the waste sector. Serena highlights that waste management was never mentioned during her chemistry degree, despite being an ideal career path for many science graduates looking for something more hands-on and varied. A brilliant episode covering hazardous waste, innovation, recycling technology and careers in the sector — and a great insight into the people and processes helping drive the industry forward.

Episode 111: News Roundup & Deep Dive into PFAS: The Next POPs?

News Roundup  Simpler Recycling: More Headlines, More Confusion [https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/2203542/rubbish-items-banned-recycling-uk-rules]  Simpler Recycling continues to generate some questionable headlines, with articles listing items “banned” from recycling — many of which were never recyclable in the first place. Alasdair and Jane question why the messaging is so negative, instead of focusing on education, clearer guidance and the benefits of getting recycling right.  Smelly Bins and Food Waste Fears [https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/26090852.business-offers-bin-odour-fix-new-waste-rules-come/]  A business has launched a product aimed at tackling bin odours linked to food waste collections. Jane and Alasdair aren’t convinced this is the real issue — if food waste is collected weekly and separated properly, the system should be cleaner and less smelly than leaving food in residual waste.  Can You Recycle Empty Crisp Packets? [https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink/binman-settles-debate-put-empty-10950625]  Another recycling debate doing the rounds: crisp packets. It’s a reminder of how much confusion still exists around what can and can’t go in household recycling — and why tools like MyBins are so useful. Perfect timing with South Ayrshire Council residents being given the chance to download for free the new MyBins app, which is now live in South Ayrshire Council.  Sustainability at Events: Cups, Bottles and Marathons  Paris Marathon has taken a major step by banning single-use plastic bottles and disposable paper cups at on-course aid stations, requiring runners to bring reusable hydration containers. Jane and Alasdair discuss the practical challenge — especially for faster runners — but agree that events need to think much harder about waste, from water stations to t-shirts, medals and catering.  Food Waste Campaign in South Ayrshire  South Ayrshire Council is running a food waste campaign to encourage residents to use their food waste collections properly. Alasdair notes that participation in Scotland remains low despite services being in place for years — and questions whether councils should also be highlighting the significant savings possible when food waste is removed from residual bins.  Topic: PFAS – The Next POPs?  This week’s deeper discussion focuses on PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — often called “forever chemicals” because they break down extremely slowly in the environment. The UK Government recently consulted on adding five new Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) into UK law under the assimilated POPs Regulation [https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/amendments-to-the-persistent-organic-pollutants-pops-regulation-2026⁠  ⁠https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/persistent-organic-pollutants-pops⁠ ] A major concern for the waste sector is the introduction of stricter UTC limits (Unintentional Trace Contaminant limits), which determine how much of these chemicals can legally remain in products and materials. If limits are exceeded, recycling may become impossible and disposal costs could increase significantly.  A key issue is the tension between environmental protection and circular economy goals. While reducing harmful chemicals is clearly positive, stricter POP limits could also push more material towards disposal or incineration, making recycling more difficult and expensive.  Ultimately, the big question for the sector is not just banning these chemicals in future products — but how we deal with the millions of tonnes of materials already containing them.    Rant of the Week: Who Helps the Waste Sector Deal With This?  This week’s rant is focused on the practical reality of new POPs rules. The UK has obligations under the Stockholm Convention, so changes are coming — but once these materials enter the waste stream, operators are often left to manage the consequences with limited support.  We’ve already seen how difficult this can be with POPs in upholstered furniture. If PFAS and other POPs are tightened further, the sector needs clear guidance, realistic testing routes, and proper support on how these materials should be handled.  Otherwise, the risk is simple: more complexity, more disposal, higher costs — and another major environmental problem landing at the feet of the waste industry.