We cover a lot of topics on Talking Rubbish, and sometimes it can be hard to find a specific Rubbish or Not, or the answer to that burning recycling question you remember hearing a few months ago.
To help you navigate all the rubbish James and Robbie have discussed, we have created the Directory. Below is a table of every live episode of Talking Rubbish, along with timestamps in green italics for you to easily find the bit you are looking for. We are also adding these timestamps to the show notes on the episode page. This feature allows you to click the timestamp and the audio player will play the correct section, to do this just click the episode link under the column 'Episode Number'.
Episode Number | Rubbish Process | Trash Talk | Rubbish or Not | Rubbish Question |
| Episode 1 | How is waste collected? (02:00) | Why are bottle caps attached? (13:40) | Pizza boxes (31:03) | Why do councils say different things about replacing lids? (36:00) |
| Episode 2 | How are cardboard and paper sorted? (04:52) | Why coffee pods aren't that bad? (12:53) | Aerosol cans (36:58) | When recycling wrapping paper should we remove tape? (42:03) |
| Episode 3 | How are cardboard and paper recycled? (05:24) | Do the Olympics fuel packaging waste? (13:05) | Cork (27:56) | Should you stuff flexible plastic in a bottle for recycling? (31:28) |
| Episode 4 | How is glass sorted? (05:23) | Does the carrier bag charge reduce plastic use? (12:42) | Birthday cards (33:25) | Are the cardboard beds used by the Olympics better than metal / wood? (36:28) |
| Episode 5 | Ending the plastic cotton bud, with Natalie Fée, City to Sea | |||
| Episode 6 | How is glass recycled? (06:27) | How can we make refill packaging work? (12:17) | Photographs (36:44) | Should you use a bottle bank or at home recycling for glass if both are available? (39:59) |
| Episode 7 | How are the metals sorted? (04:42) | How green is a Taylor Swift concert? (13:57) | Kitchen paper (38:37) | Following bottle caps, are there any other developments coming from the EU? (40:16) |
| Episode 8 | How are the metals recycled? (08:07) | How do brands pay for our recycling (EPR)? (15:44) | Receipts (38:48) | Should you ignore council guidance when it sounds like MRFs can sort? (42:41) |
| Episode 9 | The first four types of plastic (07:12) | Why is my cucumber wrapped in plastic? (18:58) | Flexible plastic Pouches (33:57) | Can you recycle shredded paper? (36:25) |
| Episode 10 | Making refill easy, with Nick Torday, Bower Collective | |||
| Episode 11 | The final three types of plastic (11:53) | Are we really eating a credit card of microplastic weekly? (25:35) | Blister packs (38:33) | What can you do with the lime in a Corona bottle? (41:20) |
| Episode 12 | How is plastic sorted? (09:55) | Which plastics have been banned and why? (17:27) | Toothbrushes (35:27) | How can councils advise normal carrier bags with food waste collections? (38:33) |
| Episode 13 | How is plastic mechanically recycled? (08:47) | Should we bother recycling flexible plastic? (14:59) | Electrical cables (40:20) | Is glass melted twice, when it's collected and when it's manufactured? (42:59) |
| Episode 14 | How is plastic chemically recycled? (12:33) | The sustainability of a Halloween pumpkin (19:49) | Fancy dress costumes (32:03) | Do we have any sustainable decoration ideas? (35:40) |
| Episode 15 | Fun recycling campaigns, with Alex Robinson, Hubbub | |||
| Episode 16 | How could plastic replace wood? (12:16) | How bad is incineration? (19:55) | Credit cards (42:16) | What should we do with the plastic film on trays? (47:28) |
| Episode 17 | What should we do with waste wood? (10:36) | Disposable vape ban (16:56) | Books (37:29) | Why do we bother sorting metal if it can get extracted from an incinerator? (42:41) |
| Episode 18 | The history of pallets (11:33) | Sustainability of Black Friday (17:58) | Duvet covers and pillowcases (43:20) | Did we ruin our recycling by making sustainable Halloween decorations?(46:46) |
| Episode 19 | How are electrical items collected? (11:11) | Breaking down compostable plastic (18:50) | Rubber bands (45:25) | What should we do with beer bottle lids? (50:03) |
| Episode 20 | How to make packaging from seaweed, with Pierre Paslier, Notpla | |||
| Episode 21 | How are nappies recycled? (11:04) | How sustainable is having a baby? (20:49) | Wet wipes (40:00) | What advice would Robbie give James about fatherhood? (43:16) |
| Episode 22 | How are Christmas trees recycled? (12:01) | What to do with tubs of chocolate (25:15) | Christmas crackers (48:33) | How can we tell if wrapping paper is recyclable? (53:33) |
| Episode 23 | How are electricals recycled? (11:05) | Deposit Return Schemes (19:09) | Fireworks (46:26) | Why does some flexible plastic say 'do not recycle'? (49:21) |
| Episode 24 | How are batteries collected? (12:43) | Are invisible barcodes the holy grail of plastic recycling? (18:10) | Train tickets (43:47) | How bad is glitter? (47:12) |
| Episode 25 | Making the invisible, visible, with Alice Rackley, Polytag | |||
| Episode 26 | How are batteries sorted? (13:49) | Should you throw out your black plastic utensils? (19:43) | New Pringles tube (41:41) | Will councils stop collecting cans and bottles when DRS goes live? (46:06) |
| Episode 27 | How are batteries recycled? (12:43) | Why do we export so much plastic for recycling (19:25) | Peach pad (50:25) | Could mixed plastic have multiple invisible barcodes? (53:03) |
| Episode 28 | How is garden waste collected? (13:13) | The controversy of oxodegradable plastic (20:46) | Netting around fruit (48:19) | What should we do with electricals with built in batteries? (50:57) |
| Episode 29 | How is garden waste recycled? (12:02) | Should councils move to 4-weekly collections? (23:01) | Glasses / Spectacles (47:27) | How clean does our recycling need to be? (49:54) |
| Episode 30 | A good car crash, with Stuart Goldsmith, Climate Comedian | |||
| Episode 31 | How are tyres collected? (9:53) | Is this the end of glass packaging? (17:51) | Widget in Guinness can (45:09) | What is the purpose of the Green Dot? (50:56) |
| Episode 32 | How are tyres recycled? (13:58) | Is Trump right to bring back plastic straws? (22:27) | Glass candle holders (47:40) | What plastic should you use as a bin liner? (50:34) |
| Episode 33 | How are lightbulbs collected? (14:13) | Why you can't visit the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (23:18) | Tomato purée tubes (47:06) | How will EPR affect small businesses? (50:56) |
| Episode 34 | How are lightbulbs recycled? (12:10) | Why your coffee cup isn't recycled (19:35) | Hot water bottles (48:51) | Does mixing waste affect recycling rates? (53:29) |
| Episode 35 | How to recycle a coffee cup, with Rob Tilsley from James Cropper | |||
| Episode 36 | How are textiles collected? (11:57) | How to make reusable coffee cups work (16:53) | Magnets (47:57) | How could EPR improve reuse? (50:17) |
| Episode 37 | How are pet food pouches recycled? (13:15) | How can we reduce our pet's carbon pawprint? (22:32) | Dog toys (45:37) | Should we compost pet poo? (50:04) |
| Episode 38 | How are textiles sorted? (11:23) | Who is the best recycler in England? (18:11) | Calpol syringes (42:02) | Can you recycle broken glass? (46:04) |
| Episode 39 | How are textiles recycled? (11:19) | Should we be making bottles out of paper? (20:58) | Tracing paper (53:29) | How much recycled content is in a plastic milk bottle? (55:18) |
| Episode 40 | Is paper the new glass, with Will Connolly from Diageo | |||
| Episode 41 | How are ink cartridges collected? (13:35) | What did Robbie learn in South Africa? (22:06) | Cotton buds (49:31) | Why is a paper ice cream tub labelled 'recyclable' but a coffee cup isn't? (51:39) |
| Episode 42 | How are ink cartridges recycled? (13:16) | Do we really only recycle 9% of plastic? (21:27) | Stickers (50:03) | Do laundry pods break down into microplastics? (53:15) |
| Episode 43 | How are mobile phones collected? (11:25) | Does plastic cause heart disease? (16:15) | Butter wrapper (46:00) | Why do free compostable bags have holes in? (51:18) |
| Episode 44 | How are mobile phones recycled? (10:45) | Should the Government control our packaging? (17:41) | Staples (47:49) | Do aluminium cans really contain plastic? (50:34) |
| Episode 45 | Recycling labels explained, with Alice Harlock from OPRL | |||
From episode 46 we have a slightly revamped format, dropping Rubbish Process and adding in Rubbish News and Residual Rubbish
Episode Number | Trash Talk | Rubbish or Not | Rubbish News | Rubbish Question | Residual Rubbish |
| Episode 46 | Greenwashing (01:32) | Jigsaw puzzles (40:19) | Global recycling and Starbucks cups (43:14) | Is recycled plastic worse for human health? (48:45) | 5-star straws and a bindicator (53:42) |
| Episode 47 | How to improve recycling in flats (01:25) | Pens (36:48) | Disposable vape ban and the US Plastic Pact (44:47) | What actually happens to the rubbish in skips? (50:38) | Tongue covers and a housing deposit (return scheme) (55:17) |
| Episode 48 | Can festivals be sustainable? (04:35) | Disposable BBQs (38:06) | DRS reduces litter and no fines (41:24) | Should ocean bound plastic be in reusable bottles? (46:26) | Hotel cleans and badgers in Bristol (52:51) |
| Episode 49 | Carbon offsetting - the good, the bad and the ugly (02:01) | Ozempic pens (37:51) | North Somerset bins and Scotland's landfill ban (42:40) | Do you need to remove the security tag from plastic packaging? (47:00) | Costa stirring straws and festival bins (48:46) |
| Episode 50 | The truth about climate change, with Mike Berners-Lee | ||||
| Episode 51 | Why does your glass bottle contain microplastics? (02:31) | Cocktail sticks (36:15) | Green Claims Directive and Paracetamol plastic (40:29) | Do we need to put a bin liner in our general bins? (47:55) | Eating plastic and naming storms (52:57) |
| Episode 52 | How landfills actually work (04:29) | Sandwich packs (38:59) | Ozempic packaging and flies eating waste (42:43) | Can tape go in the soft plastic bin? (49:09) | Not sure box and mice tennis balls (52:18) |
| Episode 53 | Why excessive packaging is illegal (02:11) | Cheese wax (34:14) | Reuse commitments and Welsh DRS (42:10) | Why do fizzy bottle threads have gaps in them? (48:17) | A jar of coffee and fan fixes (52:20) |
| Episode 54 | Sachets (02:31) | Play-Doh (36:17) | 'Recycle' label on cartons and glass EPR (39:44) | What should we do when we encounter bad labelling? (44:20) | Insta litter and Itsu ice tray (47:15) |
| Episode 55 | How brands got us hooked on plastic, with Saabira Chaudhuri | ||||
| Episode 56 | Is aluminium the ultimate packaging? (00:59) | Keys (38:05) | Viridor closure and increase in carrier bags (41:54) | Community hubs or kerbside for cartons? (46:42) | Electronic receipts and lidded Gu pots (50:42) |
| Episode 57 | Why the UN Plastic Treaty failed (03:32) | Buzzballz (36:15) | Landfilled Bitcoin search over and Shein fine (42:21) | Does folding crisp packets into triangles affect recycling? (47:25) | Cut cans and Leon bins (49:51) |
| Episode 58 | Is plastic recycling in crisis? (01:49) | Water filters (42:34) | Wet wipe island and flytip fines (48:16) | What happens to the print on aluminium foil? (50:48) | Newspaper bags and plastic firelighters (52:47) |
| Episode 59 | Making flexible plastic recycling valuable (03:01) | Sponges and loofahs (39:10) | Plastic closures explained and questionable tax (44:04) | Is incineration better than landfill? (47:47) | Bubble wrapped Notpla and eco camping (53:23) |
| Episode 60 | FlexCollect - closing the loop on flexible plastic, with Gareth Morton from Ecosurety | ||||
| Episode 61 | The rise and risks of blind box packaging (02:25) | Yoghurt pots (37:15) | Podback updates and No Such Thing as a Soya Fish (42:04) | Can wet cardboard be recycled? (47:42) | Conflicting bins and video game Robbie (50:58) |
| Episode 62 | Why toothpaste tubes can finally be recycled (01:41) | Capri-Sun pouch (38:59) | Resource Hot 100 and Greenback expansion (42:04) | How does a lack of on-the-go bins affect recycling rates? (46:15) | Everything Under the Sun and a lost food bin (50:19) |
| Episode 63 | How airlines manage recycling (02:34) | Balloons (38:12) | Turkish recycling deaths and Cornish recycling rates (42:39) | How would we counter NGOs saying recycling is pointless? (47:21) | Sweetgreen and coded video games (52:42) |
| Episode 64 | Why is recycling in America so hard? (01:57) | Red Solo Cups (36:23) | SPC working group and EPR bills to consumers (41:40) | Is pouring a drink down a drain littering? (47:22) | Mega blok shock and podcast fans (53:07) |
| Episode 65 | Recycling realities in the Global South, with Esther Carter from Delterra | ||||
| Episode 66 | Why should win the Earthshot prize? (02:22) | Water pistols (34:36) | Flytipped collection and fishing net recycling (38:43) | What is pre-consumer recycling? (42:34) | Too many cups and the best review (47:10) |
| Episode 67 | Will there really be more plastic than fish in the ocean? (04:26) | Scratchcards (33:52) | Biffa vs. Scottish Government and Swansea recycling (39:27) | Which aluminium foil, recyclable or recycled material? (42:41) | Pointless parking tickets and Amazon promo (46:02) |
| Episode 68 | What toilet paper should you buy? (01:45) | Carex refill pouch (40:02) | Earthshot results and a coffee cup book (44:03) | Should we flush or bin snotty toilet paper? (47:24) | Toy toilets and reusable cup residue (51:34) |
| Episode 69 | The carbon footprint of TV (02:00) | Fire extinguishers (35:45) | COP and bin calendars (41:07) | What happens to bagged recycling? (45:52) | Wagyu burger and vaping power banks (50:11) |
| Episode 70 | Behind the scenes of TV sustainability, with Stephanie Shires | ||||
| Episode 71 | Is waste crime on the rise? (02:21) | Postage stamps and stamp books (36:08) | Plastic free wipes and material recycling rates (39:31) | Are we really recommending plastic over paper? (46:31) | Tales of a single use cup and the best car? (54:40) |
| Episode 72 | Why labels on bottles could prevent recycling (02:42) | Effervescent tablet tubes (34:28) | Keeping recycling in the UK and at home vape and battery collections (37:46) | It is better to dye our clothes or to re-buy? (43:00) | Greggs bins and gas issues (49:22) |
| Episode 73 | Battery fires (04:23) | Nitrous oxide canisters (35:47) | Increasing reuse and Bedford glass recycling (41:56) | Can you recycle brittle bottles? (47:18) | Tenerife finds and tricky bulk refills (50:07) |
| Episode 74 | Should LEGO use recycled content? (02:28) | Advent calendars (37:27) | Bristol sausages and wasted Christmas lights (41:25) | What should you do with compostable plastic? (45:15) | Electronic packaging and Santa hat finds (50:40) |
| Episode 75 | Sustainability around the world, with Ellie Piper | ||||
| Episode 76 | Why your council tax isn't paying for your recycling anymore (02:49) | Glow sticks (43:01) | Bristol bin collections and EU against cheap plastic (48:04) | Why can we recycle aerosol cans but not gas canisters? (51:48) | Packaging as a game and too many socks (53:32) |
| Episode 77 | Is recycling a scam (02:08) | Tealight candle holders (41:02) | Mount Everest DRS and extracting lithium (43:00) | Is a dead battery still dangerous? (49:16) | Typo on merch and actual residual rubbish (52:11) |
| Episode 78 | Birmingham bin strike - what happens when waste piles up? (02:54) | Lighters (43:03) | Plumber recycling and the 1,000 tyres project (46:23) | Why is compostable plastic not compostable in California? (50:52) | Green deliveries and not so green deliveries (54:04) |
| Episode 79 | How colour drains the value from plastic recycling (02:11) | Flags (38:50) | Tyre exports and speedy wheelie bins (44:51) | Does glass need to be sorted by colour? (49:52) | Soaking dishes and PackUK role (54:18) |
| Episode 80 | How to remove colour from plastic, with Steven Burns from Reventas | ||||
| Episode 81 | Why we all suddenly have food waste bins (02:29) | Contact lenses (38:37) | Internet on a plane and Welsh success (43:14) | Is refillable packaging still considered packaging? (47:39) | Leaflet recycling and Exchange for Change (52:17) |
| Episode 82 | Why microplastics are so hard to measure (01:35) | Pumps (36:22) | PFAS controls and viral bin payments (41:06) | Does EPR penalise colour in plastic? (46:20) | Nursery glitter and a window of rubbish (53:25) |