Talking Rubbish - The Recycling Podcast
"Toast this pair who are trying to make a difference one rubbish episode at a time" - The Independent If you think recycling is boring, think again. James and Robbie are here to prove that recycling is not only important...
Insights from recent episode analysis
On the show
- Eric Isaac1 ep
- Ashley1 ep
- Jude Pullen1 ep
Also: Lucy Siegle, Tessa Clarke
Audience Interest
- recycling processes and myths
- environmental impact of waste
Podcast Focus
- educational discussions on recycling
- myth-busting recycling misconceptions
Publishing Consistency
- 91 episodes released
- active for 1 year
Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
Most discussed topics
Brands & references
Total monthly reach
Based on 1 signal.
Built from
By chart position
- 🇬🇧United Kingdom · How To#1304K to 1.6M
- 🇺🇸United States · How ToHOME#1635.5K to 29K
- 🇳🇿New Zealand · How To#103.4K to 18K
- 🇫🇷France · How To#373.2K to 17K
- 🇮🇹Italy · How To#272.9K to 15K
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
330K to 1.7M🎙 ~2x weekly·111 episodes·Last published 6d ago - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
661K to 3.5M🇬🇧92%🇺🇸2%🇳🇿1%+3 more - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
363K to 1.9M
Market Insights
Platform Distribution
Reach across major podcast platforms, updated hourly
Total Followers
—
Total Plays
—
Total Reviews
—
* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/22/26 |  117. The Conservatives' £1.4 billion recycling u-turn | The Conservatives have pledged to scrap what they're calling Labour's packaging tax, despite having introduced the policy themselves. But would abolishing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) really save shoppers money, or simply shift the cost of dealing with packaging waste back to taxpayers? Is the system delivering value for money, does it need reform, or should it be scrapped altogether? Plus, are golf balls rubbish or not, is it worth storing bottles and cans now to claim the deposit ... | 59m 59s | ||||||
| 10/15/26 |  116. When packaging promotions go horribly wrong | What happens when packaging promotions go horribly wrong? This week, James and Robbie explore some of the most spectacular marketing disasters in history. From Coca-Cola’s spring-loaded MagiCans and BrewDog’s not-so-solid gold cans to the Pepsi fighter jet that ended up in court, a bottle cap competition with devastating consequences, and the extraordinary fraud behind McDonald’s Monopoly. It turns out that once a promotion is out in the world, things can go very wrong, and putting them right... | 59m 52s | ||||||
| 10/8/26 |  115. Inside the UK’s Deposit Return Scheme with Julian Hunt | After four episodes digging into deposit return schemes, we sit down with Julian Hunt from Exchange for Change to put some of our biggest questions directly to the organisation delivering the UK’s DRS. We discuss why drinks containers were chosen, whether DRS really reduces litter, how the 20p deposit was set, what happens to reverse vending machines at end of life, who is actually paying to get the scheme off the ground, and whether local authorities could lose out as valuable cans and bottl... | 59m 22s | ||||||
| 10/1/26 |  114. How Norway gets 98% of its bottles and cans back | Norway gets around 98% of its bottles and cans back, so what makes its deposit return scheme work so well? This week, we unpack a system that is technically voluntary, yet has become one of the most successful in the world. We explore the tax that gives producers a huge incentive to hit their targets, the thousands of places consumers can return their drinks containers, what happens to all those bottles and cans once they’re collected, and whether convenience, money or Norwegian culture is re... | 59m 59s | ||||||
| 9/24/26 |  113. Why can't we just make deposit return digital? | What if you could get your 20p deposit back without ever leaving the house? This week, we explore digital deposit return and why the seemingly simple idea of scanning a bottle or can and putting it in your recycling bin gets complicated very quickly. We look at the challenges of making DRS digital, the trials already taking place around the world, and whether the UK could be building one of the last generations of manual deposit return systems. Plus, are swimming caps rubbish or not, what hap... | 59m 38s | ||||||
| 9/17/26 |  112. Why the UK Deposit Return Scheme is free for brands | Why might the UK’s Deposit Return Scheme be free for drinks brands for its first 15 months? We dig into the surprising finances behind DRS, from producer fees and the value of recycled material to the huge sums generated by unclaimed 20p deposits. Using Ireland’s scheme and the UK Government’s own forecasts, we ask who will really pay for DRS, why lower return rates can actually make the system more money, and whether there’s an uncomfortable tension at the heart of how the scheme is funded. ... | 59m 51s | ||||||
| 9/10/26 |  111. When does a Deposit Return Scheme become a tax? | Deposit return schemes can deliver impressive recycling rates. With that in mind, what can we learn from countries already using them? Following a trip to Ireland, James shares his experience of the country’s DRS, from the ease of spotting return points to the unexpected economy created by putting a value on bottles and cans. We look at what Ireland gets right, some of the unintended consequences, and what the UK could learn ahead of its own scheme launching in 2027. Plus, are arcade tickets ... | 59m 54s | ||||||
| 9/3/26 | environmental communicationsustainability+3 | Lucy Siegle | — | — | environmentsustainability+3 | — | 54m 27s | ||
| 8/27/26 | recycling labelsEU packaging plans+3 | — | EU | UK | recyclinglabels+5 | — | 58m 08s | ||
| 8/20/26 | plastic wasterecycling+4 | — | Adana | TurkeyUK | plastic wasterecycling+5 | — | 57m 59s | ||
| 8/13/26 | waste managementrecycling+4 | — | vapespregnancy tests+3 | — | waste firesrecycling issues+4 | — | 59m 41s | ||
| 8/6/26 | food wastefridge psychology+3 | — | smart fridgescable ties+1 | — | food wastefridge+5 | — | 59m 59s | ||
| 7/30/26 | food wasteenvironmental challenges+4 | Tessa Clarke | Olio | UK | food wasteOlio+6 | — | 59m 57s | ||
| 7/23/26 | recyclingplastic waste+3 | — | — | UK | flexible plasticrecycling+3 | — | 59m 48s | ||
| 7/16/26 | PFASforever chemicals+4 | — | zip lock bagbaked beans+2 | — | PFASforever chemicals+5 | — | 59m 40s | ||
| 7/9/26 | greenwashingsustainability marketing+3 | — | AdidasUniqlo+1 | — | greenwashingAdidas+5 | — | 59m 07s | ||
| 7/2/26 | packaging regulationPPWR+3 | — | Panini stickershummus+3 | August 2026 | packagingwaste regulation+3 | — | 59m 11s | ||
| 6/25/26 | milestonereflection+4 | — | — | — | recyclingpodcast milestone+3 | — | 59m 49s | ||
| 6/18/26 | recyclingpackaging+3 | — | cartonsUK | — | cartonsrecycling+3 | — | 59m 59s | ||
| 6/11/26 | plastic-free packagingmarketing claims+4 | — | plastic-free packagingasbestos+1 | — | plastic-freepackaging+5 | — | 59m 52s | ||
| 6/4/26 | reusable packagingreuse laws+3 | — | — | France | reusable packagingreuse economy+5 | — | 59m 59s | ||
| 5/28/26 | recycling fundingPackaging Recycling Notes+3 | — | Packaging Recycling NotesTikTok+1 | — | recyclingfunding+6 | — | 59m 24s | ||
| 5/21/26 | packagingsustainability+3 | Jude Pullen | — | — | overpackagingwaste+3 | — | 59m 50s | ||
| 5/14/26 | planned obsolescencee-waste+3 | — | KindleAmazon | — | e-wasteKindle+5 | — | 59m 36s | ||
| 5/7/26 | sustainabilitytechnology+3 | — | EU | Kamikatsu | barcodeQR code+5 | — | 58m 44s | ||
| 4/30/26 | plastic marketrecycling+4 | — | major brands | IranStrait of Hormuz | recycled plasticoil flows+5 | — | 59m 47s | ||
| 4/23/26 | plastic usewaste industry+4 | — | GovernmentExtended Producer Responsibility+1 | — | plasticrecycling+5 | — | 58m 36s | ||
| 4/16/26 | documentaryplastic pollution+3 | Eric Isaac | NetflixThe Plastic Detox | — | NetflixThe Plastic Detox+5 | — | 59m 34s | ||
| 4/9/26 | palm oilenvironmental impact+4 | — | palm oilplastic air fresheners+2 | — | palm oilenvironment+6 | — | 55m 39s | ||
| 4/2/26 | parcel resellingmystery packages+3 | — | floss picks | — | lost parcelsreselling+3 | — | 59m 11s | ||
| 3/26/26 | electric vehiclesoil prices+4 | — | electric vehicleselectric cars+1 | Iran | petrol pricesdiesel prices+6 | — | 58m 48s | ||
| 3/19/26 | plastic pollutionhealth impacts+3 | — | The Plastic Detox | — | plastic detoxNetflix+5 | — | 59m 37s | ||
| 3/12/26 | recyclingwaste management+4 | Ashley | TikTok | UK | binmanrecycling tips+4 | — | 58m 55s | ||
| 3/5/26 | BrewDogclimate change+4 | — | BrewDog | Scotland | BrewDogcarbon-negative+4 | — | 59m 49s | ||
| 2/26/26 | climate collaborationantitrust laws+4 | — | environmental organisationsantitrust laws | USUK | climate collaborationantitrust+4 | — | 59m 02s | ||
| 2/19/26 | microplasticshuman health+3 | — | study | — | microplasticsnanoplastics+3 | — | 57m 41s | ||
Showing 36 of 111
Pitch Fit is a Pro feature
See how bookable this show is for guests, which brands already advertise, the per-episode ad value, and the best-fit guest and sponsor profile. The numbers are blurred on the free plan.
How readily this show books outside guests like you.
How proven this show is for host-read sponsorships.
For Guests
ProFor Advertisers
ProUpgrade to Pro to unlock guest cadence, sponsor categories, fit scores, and per-episode ad value for this show.
Similar Audience Demographics
Podcasts that attract a similar listener profile
Distribution & Reach
About the show, platforms, and key insights.
Distribution & Reach
About the show, platforms, and key insights.
Key insights
What the show covers
- educational discussions on recycling
- myth-busting recycling misconceptions
- entertaining recycling stories
- science behind recycling materials
Audience interests
- recycling processes and myths
- environmental impact of waste
- sustainable living practices
- fun facts about recycling
Platform reach
- available on major podcast platforms
- growing listener base
- not specified yet
- potential for broad distribution
Publishing consistency
- 91 episodes released
- active for 1 year
- weekly episode cadence
- reliable content schedule
Chart history for Talking Rubbish - The Recycling Podcast
Peaked at #1 in United Kingdom, top 10 in 2 of 31 tracked markets, currently #1 in United Kingdom.
| Market | Genre | Peak | Current | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | — | #1 | #1 | — |
| New Zealand | — | #10 | #10 | — |
| BE | — | #15 | #15 | — |
| RO | — | #18 | #18 | — |
| PE | — | #23 | #23 | — |
| Italy | — | #27 | #27 | — |
| TR | — | #28 | #28 | — |
| MY | — | #28 | #28 | — |
| France | — | #37 | #37 | — |
| PH | — | #49 | #49 | — |
| HK | — | #51 | #51 | — |
| CZ | — | #62 | #62 | — |
| South Korea | — | #63 | #63 | — |
| Ireland | — | #64 | #64 | — |
| AE | — | #64 | #64 | — |
| TH | — | #64 | #64 | — |
| South Africa | — | #67 | #67 | — |
| United Kingdom | — | #74 | #74 | — |
| PL | — | #74 | #74 | — |
| ID | — | #80 | #80 | — |
Chart Positions
31 placements across 30 markets.
Chart Positions
31 placements across 30 markets.