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The Beyond Waste Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by CIWM
New Welcome to The Beyond Waste Podcast with your host Lee Marshall, CIWM’s policy and external affairs director.Join us as we deep dive into the world of waste, resources, and the circular economy. In each episode, we’ll bring you insightful discussions with industry experts, thought leaders, and influential voices shaping the future of sustainability.Join us as we embark on a journey to create a more sustainable future by transforming waste into valuable resources.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 3 weeks ago1h 14m
Why does the waste sector need to Think Again?
The resource and waste sector is central to circularity, climate action, jobs and resource resilience. So why do so many people still see it as just “bins”? In this episode of Beyond Waste, CIWM President Vicki Hughes and CIWM Early Careers President Emma Mulligan join us to discuss Vicki’s presidential campaign, Think Again, and the challenge of making the sector more visible, more accessible and more attractive to new talent. They explore why language matters, how early careers professionals can help shift perceptions, what businesses can do to tell a better story about the roles they offer, and why the sector needs a stronger, more consistent voice at a time of policy uncertainty, regulatory change and growing pressure on resources. See more on Vicki's campaign here.
- Jun 24, 20261h 5m
Passing the Torch for a Circular Future with David Greenfield and Charlotte Davies
As David Greenfield concludes his term as CIWM President and Charlotte Davies reflects on her year as CIWM’s first Early Careers President, they look back on the conversations, challenges and progress that defined their time in office. They discuss bringing the resources and waste and circular economy agendas closer together, tackling the skills and workforce gap, making the sector central to conversations on resource resilience, and moving circularity from ambition to everyday practice. With advice for incoming presidents Vicki and Emma, as well as young professionals considering a career in the sector, this is a forward-looking conversation about the people, policies and partnerships needed to build a more circular future.
- Jun 8, 202657 min
Climate Emotions: How Climate Change Makes Us Feel and What We Do With It
Guest Linda Aspey, Climate Psychology Alliance Hosted by Trang Dang, CIWM Climate change is not only an environmental, political and economic challenge. It is also an emotional one. In this episode, Trang Dang speaks to Linda Aspey from the Climate Psychology Alliance about the growing field of climate psychology and the eco-emotions many people experience in response to the climate crisis, including anxiety, anger, grief, guilt and despair. They explore why these emotions can sometimes overwhelm people, but can also become a source of connection, reflection and action. The conversation also looks at the role of communication, storytelling and language in shaping how people understand climate change, and how we can talk about the crisis without deepening hopelessness or disengagement. Linda also discusses the psychological challenge of moving away from a culture built around endless growth, and toward values rooted in sustainability, wellbeing and “enoughness”. Finally, the episode considers what resilience really means in the context of climate change, and how individuals, organisations and communities can develop the emotional capacity to face an uncertain future. A thoughtful conversation about climate, communication and the inner work needed to build a more resilient society.
- Mar 11, 202655 min
The Plastics Recycling Paradox: Why the Business Model Is So Hard
Plastic recycling sits at the heart of the circular economy — yet across the UK and Europe many recyclers are struggling to survive. If recycling is such a critical part of the system, why is the business model so difficult to sustain? In this episode, we’re joined by Richard Hudson from the CIWM and Adam Herriott from WRAP to explore the realities facing plastics recyclers today. From volatile material markets and rising operational costs to the complex policy landscape shaping the sector, we unpack what it actually takes to run a plastics recycling business. Together we examine the plastics waste market in the UK and Europe, why so many recyclers are struggling, and what separates the companies that succeed from those that fail. We also discuss the role of policy — from Extended Producer Responsibility and waste exports to whether governments should be doing more to support domestic recycling infrastructure. Looking ahead, we ask whether the UK Emissions Trading Scheme could shift the economics in favour of recycling — or whether market forces will simply drive a move away from plastics altogether. It’s a candid look at the paradox at the centre of plastics recycling — and what it will take to build a system that truly works. ♻️
- Feb 27, 202619 min
Wales Breaks Ranks on Glass DRS – Disaster or Game-Changer?
Wales has secured UK government approval to include glass in its Deposit Return Scheme – a move that sets it apart from England and Northern Ireland and raises major questions about the future of UK-wide resource policy. In this episode of Beyond Waste, we speak to John Twitchen of Stuff4Life about what including glass in Wales’s DRS actually means in practice – and why it matters. Why did Wales push so hard for glass? Why did Defra agree to diverge from internal market alignment? And if glass is so important, why isn’t it included elsewhere? We also explore the implications for reuse and refill systems, the operational impact on Wales’s high-performing recycling infrastructure, and the tensions this creates for cross-border producers and the glass and drinks industries. Does this decision genuinely move Wales further up the waste hierarchy – or is it a complicated step toward circularity?
- Feb 9, 202646 min
“Let’s Not Waste the Next 4 Years” – The Policies That Will Make or Break the UK’s Circular Transition
Planetary boundaries are under pressure. Legislation is tightening. And 2026 is shaping up to be another pivotal year for the UK’s resource and waste sector. In this episode, CIWM’s policy, innovation and technical leaders — Dan Cook, Tina Benfield and Richard Hudson — unpack what the next phase of transition really looks like. From Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) to the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), from Simpler Recycling to Deposit Return Schemes (DRS), the sector is navigating overlapping reforms that must work together — or risk stalling progress. The conversation explores why cross-department policy integration is critical, how resource resilience is becoming a national priority amid global volatility, and whether England risks falling behind without a clear resource sector strategy to replace its now outdated 2018 roadmap. The team also discuss: The circular economy growth plan and route maps Moving up the waste hierarchy — reuse and repair as economic strategy What’s next for EPR, including expanding material streams Skills shortages and why workforce development may be the missing piece CIWM’s 10 recommendations — and why we “must not waste the next four years” This isn’t just another policy update. It’s a strategic look at whether the UK can align regulation, infrastructure and skills quickly enough to build genuine resource resilience — and turn ambition into delivery. If you work in resources, waste, environmental policy or the circular economy, this is essential listening.
- Jan 5, 20261h 1m
2025 in Review: Waste, Circularity & the Road Ahead
2025 was a year of big promises, policy pivots, and growing pressure across waste, resources, and the circular economy. In this special year-in-review episode of Beyond Waste, guest host David Greenfield (President, CIWM & Vice President, CEI) is joined by Charlotte Davies (CIWM Early Careers Team President) to unpack what really mattered. From simpler recycling reforms and waste crime hitting the headlines, to AI, tracking tech, and the struggle to make circular economy language land with people, they explore the wins, the setbacks, and the lessons of the year. The conversation also looks ahead to 2026—new regulations, digital waste tracking, major events like ISWA in London, and how the sector can become more attractive, accessible, and impactful. If you want a clear-eyed view of where the sector’s been—and where it’s heading—this is the episode to catch up.
- Dec 16, 20251h 11m
Dennakuwo: Building Circular Futures in The Gambia
What does circular economy progress look like when it starts at community level? In this episode of Beyond Waste, host Richard Hudson (CIWM) is joined by voices from across the Dennakuwo partnership to reflect on three years of collaboration in The Gambia. Drawing on the newly released WasteAid–CIWM impact report, the conversation explores how skills, confidence, and local leadership can transform resource and waste management from the ground up. From setting the wider context of waste, sanitation and circularity in The Gambia, to supporting green enterprises, behaviour change and local authority engagement, this episode offers a grounded look at how sustainable change happens when communities are empowered to lead it themselves. Richard Hudson, CIWM (host) Ceris Turner-Bailes, WasteAid Lamin Sanyang, WasteAid Ndey Awa Ceesay, Dennakuwo Secretary General Alfusainey Sey, NAACO Enterprise
About The Beyond Waste Podcast
New Welcome to The Beyond Waste Podcast with your host Lee Marshall, CIWM’s policy and external affairs director.Join us as we deep dive into the world of waste, resources, and the circular economy. In each episode, we’ll bring you insightful discussions with industry experts, thought leaders, and influential voices shaping the future of sustainability.Join us as we embark on a journey to create a more sustainable future by transforming waste into valuable resources.
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