James & Robbie – thank you for this gem of a podcast.
I found you via a bit of a weird route... my better half recommended the podcast to my ten-year-old son and nine-year-old daughter, who started listening to it. I overheard bits at bedtime and was worried we were going to create some very weird kids — why would 9- and 10-year-olds be listening to deep dives into waste management and rubbish legislation? Surely this was a route to them being bullied at school? Then they started discussing it with one another — saying “Heellllooo,” talking about James and Robbie like they were friends from school, and quoting Alan Partridge to me!
During the summer holidays, we stayed in a tipi together, and the kids insisted on putting the podcast on as they went to bed. I was forced to listen — and found myself strangely drawn in. I’ve since realised my perceptions were daft prejudice, and I’ve now started daytime listening as well! Who knew waste legislation and regulation could be so interesting?
The community around James and Robbie is amazing, and it still feels small enough that every interaction is acknowledged by the hosts.
My kids listen to each episode repeatedly and now know so much about recycling and broader topics — material composition, manufacturing processes — and they have a real and genuine appreciation for the circular economy, which otherwise they’d only have the most basic knowledge of. They’ve (b)influenced me to listen and held me to account for our purchasing choices and waste management practices. I now consciously make informed choices, read OPRLs every time, and check our council website. I even look at packaging before making a purchase to see what recycled content it contains.
Our bedtime story at the moment is The Rubbish Book, and we love talking about what things are made of, where they come from, why certain material choices have been made, and what alternatives exist. My son is now super knowledgeable about aluminium production and its processes, and he’s developed an early appreciation for chemistry. My daughter even included notes about recycling and waste management in her application to be a science ambassador at school (she also bribed her way in with a home-baked cake she made!).
I volunteer with a Cub Scout group, and we recently ran a week on recycling and waste management (at my daughter’s request, I started the evening with a long “heeeeellow” and introduced the other leaders as “far from rubbish friends!”). All the content we covered came from The Rubbish Book and the podcast. I now see the kids thinking about where they put what, and some have even held their parents to account for following what’s on the OPRL!
We recently took a trip to the newly refurbished National Media Museum in Bradford and all sat down to enjoy a documentary they’d produced on the recycling of televisions in West Yorkshire — a likely field trip for the hosts!
I see a genuine change in myself and my kids thanks to this podcast — keep up the great work. I hope the community and binfluencing continue to grow. I hope kids and parents engage with the content and go on a learning journey with you.
Episodes are professionally produced, and James and Robbie hold themselves to account to improve the content and knowledge they’re spreading. Each week, I find myself looking forward to bin day more and more. As a listener and community member, I feel like we’re part of the development of the episodes and the trajectory of the show. James and Robbie both come across as massively positive role models for kids and parents, and they can teach all of us a bit about being more responsible and making better choices for our world. Their pledge to pick apart one-sided stories is upheld, and they thoughtfully and critically consider topics in depth. That’s handy for me — I just do what they say now!
There's a genuine warmth to the production and content which reflects the passionate nature and mission driven purpose of this podcast - this is about spreading the word and Robbie and James values shine through and inspire me and other members of the binfluencing community.
I’ve got to go — my flexible plastic recycling bag is full.
P.S. Robbie, I’m the kind of person who would also take a water pistol through airport security.