Talking Rubbish - Recycled Content

A deceptively simple question: what's actually more eco-friendly, paper towels or hand dryers? The answer depends on factors like the type of paper, the electricity source, and, most importantly, how long you use the dryer. High-speed hand dryers generally come out ahead if you're only using them briefly. We also revisit one of the greatest TED Talks ever: Joe Smith's unforgettable four-minute masterclass on drying your hands with a single folded paper towel.

This episode of Recycled Content, is the 'Rubbish Question' from episode 87 of Talking Rubbish, which first aired on 26th March 2026.

While every effort has been made to provide the most accurate information, recycling guidance changes quickly and some advice may become outdated over time. Always check with your local council for the rules that apply to recycling in your area. On the main Talking Rubbish podcast, we include an additions and corrections section where we update anything we may have got wrong.

These clips come from the weekly show, Talking Rubbish - The Recycling Podcast

We would love you to join our community on Discord

Special thanks to our sponsor, Ecosurety

To get exclusive videos and clips, follow us on Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads or Facebook; @rubbishpodcast or YouTube: @talkingrubbishpodcast

Or you can contact James and Robbie with questions or just general rubbish musings using the email address [email protected] or by texting them via WhatsApp on 07356 069 232

Music licence ID: 3GXXBILNPGLYRUZF

Ice packs seem simple, but not all are created equal. This week we compare water-filled packs with biodegradable gel versions, looking at what they're made from, how to dispose of them, and whether "drain safe" really means it's the best option. We also explore why some meal kit companies are switching to water-only packs and what the environmental trade-offs mean in practice.

This episode of Recycled Content, is the 'Rubbish or Not' from episode 87 of Talking Rubbish, which first aired on 26th March 2026.

While every effort has been made to provide the most accurate information, recycling guidance changes quickly and some advice may become outdated over time. Always check with your local council for the rules that apply to recycling in your area. On the main Talking Rubbish podcast, we include an additions and corrections section where we update anything we may have got wrong.

These clips come from the weekly show, Talking Rubbish - The Recycling Podcast

We would love you to join our community on Discord

Special thanks to our sponsor, Ecosurety

To get exclusive videos and clips, follow us on Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads or Facebook; @rubbishpodcast or YouTube: @talkingrubbishpodcast

Or you can contact James and Robbie with questions or just general rubbish musings using the email address [email protected] or by texting them via WhatsApp on 07356 069 232

Music licence ID: 3GXXBILNPGLYRUZF

With Easter just around the corner (when we recorded this), we put some of the UK's biggest Easter eggs to the test to see which delivers the most chocolate for the least packaging. From classic Creme Eggs to the growing trend of smaller eggs, the results were surprisingly clear: bigger isn't better. We reveal which brands came out on top, why two small eggs can beat one large one, and how a giant premium egg ended up being almost half packaging by weight.

This episode of Recycled Content, is the 'Rubbish Question' from episode 86 of Talking Rubbish, which first aired on 19th March 2026.

While every effort has been made to provide the most accurate information, recycling guidance changes quickly and some advice may become outdated over time. Always check with your local council for the rules that apply to recycling in your area. On the main Talking Rubbish podcast, we include an additions and corrections section where we update anything we may have got wrong.

These clips come from the weekly show, Talking Rubbish - The Recycling Podcast

We would love you to join our community on Discord

Special thanks to our sponsor, Ecosurety

To get exclusive videos and clips, follow us on Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads or Facebook; @rubbishpodcast or YouTube: @talkingrubbishpodcast

Or you can contact James and Robbie with questions or just general rubbish musings using the email address [email protected] or by texting them via WhatsApp on 07356 069 232

Music licence ID: 3GXXBILNPGLYRUZF

Can you recycle air freshener bottles? We untangle the confusing guidance from the biggest brands, explain which glass refills can usually go in your recycling, why plug-in devices count as electricals, and why some plastic air fresheners still aren't recyclable despite being made from plastic.

This episode of Recycled Content, is the 'Rubbish or Not' from episode 86 of Talking Rubbish, which first aired on 19th March 2026.

While every effort has been made to provide the most accurate information, recycling guidance changes quickly and some advice may become outdated over time. Always check with your local council for the rules that apply to recycling in your area. On the main Talking Rubbish podcast, we include an additions and corrections section where we update anything we may have got wrong.

These clips come from the weekly show, Talking Rubbish - The Recycling Podcast

We would love you to join our community on Discord

Special thanks to our sponsor, Ecosurety

To get exclusive videos and clips, follow us on Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads or Facebook; @rubbishpodcast or YouTube: @talkingrubbishpodcast

Or you can contact James and Robbie with questions or just general rubbish musings using the email address [email protected] or by texting them via WhatsApp on 07356 069 232

Music licence ID: 3GXXBILNPGLYRUZF

Are food waste disposers really a good alternative to a food waste caddy? We look at what manufacturers say, why UK water companies don't recommend sending food waste down the drain, and remind you of all the everyday items, from tea bags to bones and peelings, that can go in your food waste collection.

This episode of Recycled Content, is the 'Rubbish Question' from episode 84 of Talking Rubbish, which first aired on 5th March 2026.

While every effort has been made to provide the most accurate information, recycling guidance changes quickly and some advice may become outdated over time. Always check with your local council for the rules that apply to recycling in your area. On the main Talking Rubbish podcast, we include an additions and corrections section where we update anything we may have got wrong.

These clips come from the weekly show, Talking Rubbish - The Recycling Podcast

We would love you to join our community on Discord

Special thanks to our sponsor, Ecosurety

To get exclusive videos and clips, follow us on Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads or Facebook; @rubbishpodcast or YouTube: @talkingrubbishpodcast

Or you can contact James and Robbie with questions or just general rubbish musings using the email address [email protected] or by texting them via WhatsApp on 07356 069 232

Music licence ID: 3GXXBILNPGLYRUZF

Tree guards protect young trees from grazing animals, but if they're not removed in time they can become plastic pollution or even grow into the tree itself. We explore why millions are still used each year, whether biodegradable alternatives really work, why funding schemes often make them the default, and what better options exist for protecting newly planted woodland.

This episode of Recycled Content, is the 'Rubbish or Not' from episode 84 of Talking Rubbish, which first aired on 5th March 2026.

While every effort has been made to provide the most accurate information, recycling guidance changes quickly and some advice may become outdated over time. Always check with your local council for the rules that apply to recycling in your area. On the main Talking Rubbish podcast, we include an additions and corrections section where we update anything we may have got wrong.

These clips come from the weekly show, Talking Rubbish - The Recycling Podcast

We would love you to join our community on Discord

Special thanks to our sponsor, Ecosurety

To get exclusive videos and clips, follow us on Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads or Facebook; @rubbishpodcast or YouTube: @talkingrubbishpodcast

Or you can contact James and Robbie with questions or just general rubbish musings using the email address [email protected] or by texting them via WhatsApp on 07356 069 232

Music licence ID: 3GXXBILNPGLYRUZF

Trigger sprays might seem simple, but they're surprisingly complex. We explore why they were once considered difficult to recycle because of their metal springs, how manufacturers have largely switched to all-plastic mechanisms, and what that means for recycling today. We also unpack the "cap on" recycling advice you'll often see on trigger spray bottles and ask whether we really need such a complicated disposable product in the first place.

This episode of Recycled Content, is the 'Rubbish or Not' from episode 83 of Talking Rubbish, which first aired on 26th February 2026.

While every effort has been made to provide the most accurate information, recycling guidance changes quickly and some advice may become outdated over time. Always check with your local council for the rules that apply to recycling in your area. On the main Talking Rubbish podcast, we include an additions and corrections section where we update anything we may have got wrong.

These clips come from the weekly show, Talking Rubbish - The Recycling Podcast

We would love you to join our community on Discord

Special thanks to our sponsor, Ecosurety

To get exclusive videos and clips, follow us on Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads or Facebook; @rubbishpodcast or YouTube: @talkingrubbishpodcast

Or you can contact James and Robbie with questions or just general rubbish musings using the email address [email protected] or by texting them via WhatsApp on 07356 069 232

Music licence ID: 3GXXBILNPGLYRUZF

Alice on Discord asked whether EPR actually takes pigment into account. The answer is yes, but not as much as you might think. Earlier versions of the assessment, placed much more emphasis on colour, whereas the final PackUK methodology only flags carbon black pigment as a sortation issue. Most other colour-related impacts now sit under the "application" stage, where certain colours can reduce the quality of recycled plastic rather than prevent it from being recycled. There are some material-specific quirks too, like coloured PET bottles being penalised while PET trays aren't, and, perhaps inevitably, there's still plenty of room for debate over what actually counts as "dark blue"!

This episode of Recycled Content, is the 'Rubbish Question' from episode 82 of Talking Rubbish, which first aired on 19th February 2026.

While every effort has been made to provide the most accurate information, recycling guidance changes quickly and some advice may become outdated over time. Always check with your local council for the rules that apply to recycling in your area. On the main Talking Rubbish podcast, we include an additions and corrections section where we update anything we may have got wrong.

These clips come from the weekly show, Talking Rubbish - The Recycling Podcast

We would love you to join our community on Discord

Special thanks to our sponsor, Ecosurety

To get exclusive videos and clips, follow us on Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads or Facebook; @rubbishpodcast or YouTube: @talkingrubbishpodcast

Or you can contact James and Robbie with questions or just general rubbish musings using the email address [email protected] or by texting them via WhatsApp on 07356 069 232

Music licence ID: 3GXXBILNPGLYRUZF

Can you recycle soap pumps? This week we dive into why they're more complicated than they look, how new spring-free designs are changing the game, whether it's better to keep reusing your pump with refill bottles, and the fascinating story behind how the humble soap pump became a household essential.

This episode of Recycled Content, is the 'Rubbish or Not' from episode 82 of Talking Rubbish, which first aired on 19th February 2026.

While every effort has been made to provide the most accurate information, recycling guidance changes quickly and some advice may become outdated over time. Always check with your local council for the rules that apply to recycling in your area. On the main Talking Rubbish podcast, we include an additions and corrections section where we update anything we may have got wrong.

These clips come from the weekly show, Talking Rubbish - The Recycling Podcast

We would love you to join our community on Discord

Special thanks to our sponsor, Ecosurety

To get exclusive videos and clips, follow us on Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads or Facebook; @rubbishpodcast or YouTube: @talkingrubbishpodcast

Or you can contact James and Robbie with questions or just general rubbish musings using the email address [email protected] or by texting them via WhatsApp on 07356 069 232

Music licence ID: 3GXXBILNPGLYRUZF

A deceptively simple question; is a refillable deodorant applicator that's sold empty a product or packaging? We explore why this has divided opinion, how current UK EPR rules appear to treat it, and why there's a strong argument that refillable applicators should be classified as products rather than packaging.

This episode of Recycled Content, is the 'Rubbish Question' from episode 81 of Talking Rubbish, which first aired on 12th February 2026.

While every effort has been made to provide the most accurate information, recycling guidance changes quickly and some advice may become outdated over time. Always check with your local council for the rules that apply to recycling in your area. On the main Talking Rubbish podcast, we include an additions and corrections section where we update anything we may have got wrong.

These clips come from the weekly show, Talking Rubbish - The Recycling Podcast

We would love you to join our community on Discord

Special thanks to our sponsor, Ecosurety

To get exclusive videos and clips, follow us on Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads or Facebook; @rubbishpodcast or YouTube: @talkingrubbishpodcast

Or you can contact James and Robbie with questions or just general rubbish musings using the email address [email protected] or by texting them via WhatsApp on 07356 069 232

Music licence ID: 3GXXBILNPGLYRUZF