Towards Zero Zero Waste Scotland

Ditching Disposables to stop takeaways costing the Earth  
Our guests    
Alvaro Bernabeu, owner of Malvarosa, Portobello, Edinburgh.  Catherine Bozec, communications partner, Zero Waste Scotland Maja Darlington, plastic campaigner, Greenpeace UK In this episode, we hear how Scottish takeaways and their customers are wasting less and spending less as they go beyond the latest ban on throwaway plastic to help save the planet and their pocket. 
Alvaro Bernabeu tells us why he’s always charged a deposit for his paella pans. Now he’s saving cash as well as carbon by trialling deposits for other reusable tubs and cups at his restaurant in Edinburgh’s Portobello under Zero Waste Scotland’s Ditching Disposables scheme to help businesses nationwide make the best change for them and the planet. 
Zero Waste Scotland’s communications partner Catherine Bozec explains the ban in more detail, and why we should all ditch all disposables and choose to reuse everything wherever possible, from cups to clothes and computers. 
Greenpeace UK plastic campaigner Maja Darlington tells us all about the Big Plastic Count revealing how much we waste at home to help persuade governments and big businesses take more action. 
 

How to make sure going electric really will help end the climate crisis
Our guests    
Dr Euan McTurk, electric vehicle battery engineer and host of YouTube show, Plug Life Television Charlotte Stamper, circular economy energy infrastructure specialist, Zero Waste Scotland  Paul Codd, Cleantech investor, Co-Founder of Cheesecake Energy and CEO of Flexergy Ltd. In this episode, we talk about the need to switch from petrol and diesel to electric
vehicles as we enjoy the freedom to get around again without making the climate
crisis worse.   
Electric vehicle battery engineer Euan McTurk crunches the numbers in a
bid to answer to a common question: Are electric cars really better for the
planet than petrol or diesel? 
Zero Waste Scotland’s circular economy energy infrastructure expert,
Charlotte Stamper, shares our latest research highlighting the risk of creating
more waste as demand for electric vehicles soars – and discusses innovative
solutions to avoid that risk and create more sustainable jobs in the
process.   
Paul Codd explains how Cheesecake Energy, his tasty-sounding circular
economy business, is pioneering an unlikely sounding way to make the switch to
electric more sustainable.  
 

It’s not unfair to say that, as consumers, most of us tend to show our love at Christmas through buying things for one another.  With toy ads bombarding our televisions, and 3-for-2 on beauty items resulting in needless items clogging our bathroom cabinets, Santa lists began to have a page count, and, with it, our needless waste increased.
In part two of our Christmas Special we talk to Sam Moir, Programme Manager for Revolve – Zero Waste Scotland’s quality standard for second-hand stores in Scotland, about the many ways we can still experience the joy of gifting at Christmas that won’t cost the earth. 

For a lot of people, the best part about Christmas is the food – whether it be an excuse to graze on treats throughout the day, or a bustling table full of Christmas favourites. But food waste has a huge impact on our carbon footprint. Around half of all food waste in Scotland comes from householders and Christmas is a big contributor. 


Our Communications Lead, Andrew Pankhurst, joins us to share some fantastic, yet simple, ways to reduce the amount of food waste you produce, while still enjoying all the trimmings.

From wrapping paper to food packaging; cardboard boxes, to empty bottles – the festivities around Christmas certainly bring with them an array of waste that requires different modes of disposal. 


For some, this process can sometimes become confusing, resulting in waste being thrown away together or, in worst-case scenarios, fly-tipped. As well as being an eyesore, this can have a huge environmental impact. 


Thankfully, Jenny Fraser, our Consumer Campaigns Manager, joined us to share some of our top tips to help reduce waste and make recycling simple this Christmas. 

From the gifts we buy at Christmas to the paper that we wrap them in – everything has a carbon tag attached. But we can all limit our carbon footprint during the most indulgent time by reducing the amount we consume. 
Consumption is an issue not just exclusive to Christmas, but it's definitely a time of the year where overindulgence is almost expected and it doesn’t have to be this way.  Zero Waste Scotland believes that to truly end our contribution to the climate crisis, we need to think about how we consume and Christmas is a great time to start.
In part one of our Towards Zero Christmas Special, our Communications Consultant, Miriam Adcock, shares how we can all have a conscientious Christmas.