Videos

6 October 2025 OPINION: ‘Circular Economy Strategy needs concrete steps’ The Environmental Services Association (ESA) has shared a video opinion-editorial with letsrecycle.com which discusses the progress it made in the last quarter and its goals for the months ahead. In the video, ESA executive director Jacob Hayler looked back at the Resource and Waste Management (RWM) Expo in Birmingham, the goals of the Circular Economy Taskforce and the plastics sector. Hayler advocated for further support for the plastics sector amongst difficult market conditions and plant closures. He highlighted end markets as being of particular concern and in need of assistance to drive demand. Hayler also discussed ongoing policy matters such Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) invoices, Simpler Recycling and the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The executive director of the ESA called for a “proper plan” to increase enforcement and ensure proper compliance with Simpler Recycling for businesses. The ESA has identified decarbonisation as one of its key strategic priorities, including working out how to reduce carbon emissions from waste treatment. Hayler said that the use of heat networks as a part of Energy from Waste (EfW) will be an important part of this and that the association will soon be releasing an update of its heat network prospectus. The ESA will also be releasing a new report and hosting a webinar on the subject. The association said that it is increasingly concerned by the number of nitrous oxide cannisters which end up in waste streams – with one of its members reporting approximately £2 million of damage as a result of these cannisters appearing in the waste they manage. Hayler also touches of waste fires, the Landfill Tax, the Plastic Packaging Tax and the ESA Annual Lunch. Watch the video to find out more.

30 September 2025 ESS Expert Interviews: Catherine David Our interview with Catherine David at the Environmental Services & Solutions Expo (ESS Expo) 2025. Editor Savannah Coombe and Catherine discussed all things circular living and her journey to becoming Chief Executive of WRAP. Recorded live on Day 2 of the ESS Expo at the Letsrecycle stand (Thursday 18/09/2025).

29 September 2025 ESS Expert Interviews: Stuart Hayward-Higham Our interview with Stuart Hayward-Higham at the Environmental Services & Solutions Expo (ESS Expo) 2025. The Chief Technical Development and Innovation Officer at Suez stopped by to talk about the Circular Economy Taskforce, textiles EPR, PackUK and the Emissions Trading Scheme. Recorded live on Day 2 of the ESS Expo at the Letsrecycle stand (Thursday 18/09/2025).

26 September 2025 ESS Expert Interviews: Vicki Hughes Vicki Hughes on bringing more women into the waste and resources sector and the wood recycling industry. Hughes sat down with Letsrecycle Editor Savannah Coombe at the ESS Expo last week. Recorded live on Thursday 18 September 2025.

24 September 2025 ESS Expert Interviews: Margaret Bates Margaret Bates on moving from PackUK to Simpler Recycling, her secondment at Defra and claims that pEPR will add to growing food prices. Bates sat down with Letsrecycle Editor Savannah Coombe at the ESS Expo last week. Recorded live on Thursday 18 September 2025.

19 September 2025 ESS Expert Interviews: Charlotte Davies Our interview with Charlotte Davies at the Environmental Services & Solutions Expo (ESS Expo) 2025. The Early Careers President of CIWM sat down with Editor Savannah Coombe to discuss attracting a new generation of talent to the sector, her role at CIWM and the Pledge2Recycle Plastics programme with Preston City Council and RECOUP. Recorded live on Day 1 of the ESS Expo at the Letsrecycle stand (Wednesday 17/09/2025).

18 September 2025 ESS Expert Interviews: Dr David Greenfield Letsrecycle Editor Savannah Coombe sat down with the President of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), Dr Prof David Greenfield, at the start of Day 1 of the ESS Expo 2025 to talk about the circular economy, his presidency, digital inclusivity and his many (many!) roles. Recorded live on Day 1 of the ESS Expo at the Letsrecycle stand on Wednesday 17/09/2025.

2 September 2025 INTERVIEW: ‘FlexCollect – It wasn’t easy in the early days’ At yesterday’s launch event, Letsrecycle spoke to the “flexperts” about making the FlexCollect trials happen. Gareth Callan, UK Packaging Sustainability Lead at PepsiCo, and James Marsh, Senior Packaging Specialist at Nestlé, are both part of the Flexible Plastics Fund as brand partners. Robbie Staniforth, Innovation and Policy Director at Ecosurety, heads the team which pulled the whole project together alongside RECOUP, Suez and WRAP. The trials were run over three years ahead of the mandatory kerbside collection of flexible plastics as part of Simpler Recycling. The resulting report was released yesterday at a launch event in the Houses of Parliament and shows positive signs for the future of flexible plastic collections.

16 June 2025 OPINION: ‘Collaboration needed across the value chain’ The Environmental Services Association (ESA) has shared a video opinion-editorial with letsrecycle.com which calls for industry collaboration. In the video, ESA executive director Jacob Hayler summarises the association’s activity in the past quarter. In April, Eunomia and the ESA released a report looking at the economic impact of battery and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) fires - which cost the UK economy over £1 billion every year. The report found that there could be £6 billion of savings over the next few years if a mandatory national kerbside collection for WEEE and batteries was introduced. Earlier in June (04 June 2025), the ESA hosted its annual member’s conference which set out some of the key issues and priorities facing our sector. The conference looked at the work of the government’s new Circular Economy Taskforce, the implementation of the packaging reforms and the incoming inclusion of Energy from Waste (EfW) to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). One of the clear themes that came through on the day was the need for collaboration right across the value change if the UK is going to realise a more circular economy. The conference was followed by a launch event in the evening for the ESA’s Vision 2040 report. The event was held at the National Portrait Gallery and was attended by Defra’s circular economy minister, Mary Creagh. Looking ahead, Hayler touched on reforms to the landfill tax, aligning the ETS with the EU, and other upcoming policy changes. He said: “The sector has an opportunity to all come together at the ESS Expo at the NEC in Birmingham in September. “We’re looking forward to discussing all of these policy areas and welcoming our members, peers and other stakeholders to the ESA stand.” Watch the video to find out more about the work of the ESA and the latest for the sector.

29 April 2025 ESA: UK-wide kerbside WEEE collection could save £6bn The resources and waste sector is currently experiencing an epidemic of waste fires related to waste electricals and batteries. However, the Environmental Services Association (ESA) and consultancy Eunomia have estimated that the nationwide implementation of kerbside collection for waste batteries and electricals could save £6 billion across the next decade. According to a new report, the savings would principally come from the prevention of waste fires, which is estimated to cost the UK over £1 billion a year, alongside increased recycling. Here the ESA unpacks the issue and the benefits of a kerbside collection service. Video credit: ESA 2025

9 April 2025 Food Waste Conference March 2025 Thinking of attending a letsrecycle.com conference? Here's our reporter Savannah with a behind the scenes look at our busy National Food Waste Conference, with 225 delegates in attendance. Thanks to our sponsors Biffa, Keenan Recycling, Bartec, BioteCH4, British Bins, c-trace, The Compost Bag Company, Dennis Eagle, Glasdon, Hillend Engineering, Leafield Environmental, metroSTOR, Severn Trent, Storm, Trest and Wybone.

26 February 2025 Inside Black Soldier Fly farming at MYGroup Letsrecycle.com reporter Savannah Coombe visited MYGroup’s The Maltings facility in South Milford near Leeds to learn more about Black Soldier Fly (BSF) farming. BSF farming is not new to the waste industry, MYGroup itself has been working with the flies for a number of years to create an Insect Protein Meal product for the aquatic feeds market. The waste management company announced in January 2025 that it had opened its first on-site BSF farm in Yorkshire. Featuring footage of real fly larvae, this video feature goes behind the scenes of BSF farming at the South Milford site and explores what lies ahead for the sector. MYGroup said that it sees black soldier fly farming as the future of both food waste management and the protein industry. Group director, Steve Carrie, called the flies the “heroes of the future food system”. In time, the group hopes to breed its own colony here at the very site featured in this video.

5 February 2025 INTERVIEW: The challenges faced by the used textiles industry Letsrecycle.com reporter Savannah Coombe spoke to Tosh Vyas, director of Fortune Eximports, and Mohammed Patel, business development manager at the Textile Recycling Association (TRA), to discuss the challenges facing the used textiles industry. They discuss geopolitical issues that have affected trade including the war between Russia and Ukraine and the crisis in the Suez Canal. Patel explains the steps the TRA is taking to address the issues and how the charity retail sector can help. Vyas goes into why shipments containing “waste” that was classified as “textiles” may have been impounded by the Environment Agency. Finally, they discuss whether there is any value to the collection of “bric-a-brac” and the future of the used textiles industry.

10 October 2023 ESS Expo 2023 | Extended Interview with Mike Maudsley, Enfinium Letsrecycle.com editor, Josh Doherty interviews Enfinium CEO, Mike Maudsley at ESS Expo 2023.

10 October 2023 ESS Expo 2023 | Extended Interview with Mark Hayton, EGGER Timberpak

11 September 2023 How Suez cleaned up after Notting Hill Carnival

30 August 2023 Eco Sustainable launches £2.5m wash plant

19 July 2023 Rishi Sunak on EPR and price rises

12 July 2023 Material Focus battery fire campaign

15 March 2023 Sir James Bevan, the chief executive of the Environment Agency, discusses waste exports at an EFRA Committee meeting

9 February 2023 Coffey discusses EPR and consistency- February 2023

7 December 2022 Interview with Cathy Cook, LARAC chair, on 29 November

28 November 2022 Carl Beer, chief executive of the MRWA, speaks with letsrecycle.com as he prepares to stand down from the role. Carl Beer, chief executive of the MRWA, speaks with letsrecycle.com as he prepares to stand down from the role.

12 September 2022 Cyklpoint director Michael Sant - September 2022

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