Our everyday plastic and waste choices ripple through Scotland's entire ecosystem, affecting our landscapes and wildlife.

Andrew Pankhurst from Zero Waste Scotland explains how rethinking waste can transform our environment and economy. Discover Scotland's circular economy – an innovative approach where products stay in high-value use for generations, not moments.

Learn from the carrier bag charge success story that achieved an 80% reduction in use and fewer bags on beaches through simple policy changes.

While Plastic Free July drives environmental action, Zero Waste Scotland focuses on reducing all single-use items. Surprisingly, food waste and textiles cause greater environmental harm than plastic, scoring highest for carbon emissions, biodiversity loss, land use, and water consumption.

Understanding these impacts helps us prioritise the most effective solutions. Explore innovative programmes like Stirling's Ditching Disposables initiative and Glasgow's Borrow Cup scheme that make sustainable choices convenient.

Andrew offers a refreshingly non-judgmental approach: "Whatever you can do is fine." The simple reduce, reuse, recycle framework gives everyone an accessible pathway to better choices, without overwhelming guilt.

Ready to join Scotland's waste-free future? Listen for practical tips and ways to protect our wild places and wildlife, while creating a healthier world for everyone.

Information:

Zero Waste Scotland

Plastic Free July

Fifty years since their reintroduction, Scotland now hosts around 200 breeding pairs of white-tailed eagles (also known as sea eagles), representing both a remarkable conservation success and a challenge for some farmers and crofters. This podcast explores the relationship between these magnificent birds and farming communities through conversations with NatureScot's Andrew Kent and Appin-based sheep farmer David Colthart.

We hear how eagle predation impacts sheep flocks and how the recently expanded Sea Eagle Management Scheme supports farmers with deterrence and adaptation strategies. The discussion reveals emerging collaborative approaches, including enhanced shepherding and research to track predation patterns.

From extinction to reintroduction, conservation success to agricultural concerns - this episode examines the multifaceted story of Scotland's sea eagles and the ongoing efforts to balance wildlife conservation with the needs of rural livelihoods.

Green Health Week spotlights NHS Ayrshire and Arran's pioneering approach to transforming hospital grounds into therapeutic spaces for patients, staff, and the wider community.

Public Health Programme Lead Elaine Caldow shares the journey from a small demonstration project to a comprehensive approach that treats nature as medicine. Assistant Director of Estates and Support Services Helen Gemmell reveals how initial management concerns about risk have evolved into widespread staff enthusiasm for these restorative environments.

We visit the Kyle Chemotherapy Unit with Deputy Charge Nurse Wendy Ruiz de Pascal to see how the garden spaces are supporting patients during treatment, and discover The Conservation Volunteers' innovative 'green gyms', Acorn Garden, and guided nature walks with Lindsay Twilley.

This episode showcases Scotland's pioneering integration of nature into healthcare settings—creating spaces for calm, hope and healing while simultaneously advancing sustainability goals and demonstrating that when hospitals make space for nature, remarkable healing happens.