Pens turn out to be far more difficult to recycle, with their mix of plastics, metals, springs and ink making them unsuitable for kerbside recycling and extremely hard to process at end of life. Looking into the world’s best-selling Bic pen revealed a patchy picture of sustainability claims, discontinued take-back schemes and limited recycling options.

This episode of Recycled Content, is the 'Rubbish or Not' from episode 47 of Talking Rubbish, which first aired on 19th June 2025.

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has been made to provide the most accurate information, recycling guidance changes quickly and some advice may become outdated over time.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 talkingrubbishpodcast@gmail.com or by texting them via WhatsApp on 07356 069 232

Music licence ID: 3GXXBILNPGLYRUZF

Is recycled plastic worse for us than virgin plastic, especially in drinking bottles, and does it release more microplastics? There is some truth behind the concern, recycled plastics can contain a mix of chemicals from their previous uses. However, food-grade plastics like PET drink bottles are heavily regulated, with strict EU limits on chemical migration into food and drink. The bigger concern may be in products like toys, where recycled plastics could combine chemicals from multiple sources, which is why the EU is tightening rules around substances like PFAS and endocrine disruptors. So while recycled plastic can potentially carry more chemical complexity, regulations are designed to keep exposure levels low, especially in food and drink packaging.

This episode of Recycled Content, is the 'Rubbish Question' from episode 46 of Talking Rubbish, which first aired on 12th June 2025.

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has been made to provide the most accurate information, recycling guidance changes quickly and some advice may become outdated over time.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 talkingrubbishpodcast@gmail.com or by texting them via WhatsApp on 07356 069 232

Music licence ID: 3GXXBILNPGLYRUZF

Can you recycle a jigsaw puzzle? They’re mostly cardboard, so technically yes, but generally the pieces are too small to be processed properly. Still, if you really wanted to try, putting all the pieces back in the box and taping the lid shut might work. Although honestly, why throw one away at all? People love second-hand puzzles, even incomplete ones, as long as you warn them first. Derbyshire Council suggests donating or selling them, and Reddit had some brilliant reuse ideas too, including turning old puzzles into wreaths, coasters and even earrings.

This episode of Recycled Content, is the 'Rubbish or Not' from episode 46 of Talking Rubbish, which first aired on 12th June 2025.

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 talkingrubbishpodcast@gmail.com or by texting them via WhatsApp on 07356 069 232

Music licence ID: 3GXXBILNPGLYRUZF

Do cans really contain plastic? Yes, most food and drink cans are lined with a thin plastic coating called an epoxy resin. Like paper straws and coffee cups, cans need a lining to stop the material reacting with food and drink. Without it, fizzy or acidic drinks could corrode the metal and affect the taste. The lining is removed during the recycling process.

This episode of Recycled Content, is the 'Rubbish Question' from episode 44 of Talking Rubbish, which first aired on 29th May 2025.

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 talkingrubbishpodcast@gmail.com or by texting them via WhatsApp on 07356 069 232

Music licence ID: 3GXXBILNPGLYRUZF

Staples are one of those tiny recycling dilemmas, they’re usually made of steel, but their small size makes people wonder what to do with them. The good news is you can generally leave them in paper when recycling, as the pulping process turns paper into slurry and screens easily remove small contaminants like staples. If you want to go the extra mile, you could collect staples in something like a steel can (even loosely sealed with foil) so they’re more easily captured in metal recycling systems, which use magnets and eddy currents to separate materials. Or, if you have access to a recycling centre, you can simply drop them straight into the metal bin.

This episode of Recycled Content, is the 'Rubbish or Not' from episode 44 of Talking Rubbish, which first aired on 29th May 2025.

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 talkingrubbishpodcast@gmail.com or by texting them via WhatsApp on 07356 069 232

Music licence ID: 3GXXBILNPGLYRUZF

Those little holes in produce or meat bags might seem pointless, especially when you try to reuse them as compost caddy liners, but they’re there for a reason. They help with ventilation to reduce moisture and mould, allow the contents to compress without the bag bursting, and were historically thought to help prevent suffocation. In reality, for home delivery where you’re not transporting loose produce yourself, the ventilation and crush protection aren’t all that necessary.

This episode of Recycled Content, is the 'Rubbish Question' from episode 43 of Talking Rubbish, which first aired on 22nd May 2025.

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 talkingrubbishpodcast@gmail.com or by texting them via WhatsApp on 07356 069 232

Music licence ID: 3GXXBILNPGLYRUZF

Most butter wrappers feel like paper, so it’s surprising when they say “don’t recycle”, but the reality is more complicated. Many are actually made from a mix of paper, plastic, and sometimes aluminium, with added coatings to stop grease leaking through, which makes them hard to recycle. Some simpler versions, like plain greaseproof paper, might go in food waste depending on your local council, so it’s always worth checking. There are signs of progress, in 2024, Aldi introduced a paper-based, recyclable butter wrap aimed at cutting tonnes of non-recyclable packaging.

This episode of Recycled Content, is the 'Rubbish or Not' from episode 43 of Talking Rubbish, which first aired on 22nd May 2025.

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 talkingrubbishpodcast@gmail.com or by texting them via WhatsApp on 07356 069 232

Music licence ID: 3GXXBILNPGLYRUZF

This episode explains what happens when mobile phones are recycled, starting with securely removing personal data through steps like hard resets and restoring factory settings. Devices are then pre-sorted, working phones may be resold, while newer ones can be stripped for parts. The remaining phones are shredded to ensure data security, and advanced processes using magnets and other techniques separate valuable metals from plastics. It also explores how recovered electronic materials can be refined through chemical and high-heat processes to extract precious metals like gold, with potential to recover others such as copper, nickel, and tin.

This episode of Recycled Content, is the 'Rubbish Process' from episode 44 of Talking Rubbish, which first aired on 29th May 2025.

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 talkingrubbishpodcast@gmail.com or by texting them via WhatsApp on 07356 069 232

Music licence ID: 3GXXBILNPGLYRUZF