Newark and Sherwood collect 48,000 tonnes of waste each year and Eurotech believes we need to make sure we have the technological skills to deal with it
The district collect more than 48,000 tonnes of waste each year and one of the UK's largest waste management companies believes we need to make sure we have the technological skills to deal with it.
More than 48,000 tonnes of waste was collected in Newark and Sherwood last year, an amount that is rising year on year.
And Mr Christopher Banks, managing director at Newark-based Eurotech, believes it is a pressing issue for not just Newark and Sherwood District Council, but the country as a whole.
"In this country — and around the world — a rise in living standards and an increasingly throw away culture means that how we dispose of waste is a growing concern," said Mr Bank
"The industry is grappling with related issues; how to increase recycling rates, how to manage the energy used in waste treatment and how to support the health of our staff who work with waste materials."
He said Eurotech is looking to tackle the aforementioned issues.
"Having recently stepped up another level in our accreditation with Constructionline Gold Membership, we are proud of our commitment to exceptional health and safety standards and continue to look for innovative ways to make the work we do safer," he said.
"Because the answer to sustainable waste management is through greater use of technology, whether that is through automated sorting of waste, or treatment of waste and waste pollutants using scientific breakthroughs, or supporting greater development of biodegradable materials to replace plastics, the waste industry is at the forefront of applying science and innovation to daily life.
"But we face significant talent shortages.
"We have world class universities in this country, not least here in the East Midlands.
"Yet in this region and across the UK, employers consistently report shortages in these STEM areas — those jobs requiring skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.
"As our local MP Robert Jenrick has said, we need to create a workforce capable of increasing Newark's footprint on the digital map.
"That is why Eurotech is so delighted to have joined a group of businesses from across the country – large and small - supporting the development of a new university in Milton Keynes, called MK:U, which will focus exclusively on developing and training graduates and apprentices in these scientific and technical disciplines.
"Such a university has huge potential to support not just the Milton Keynes area but the UK as a whole.
"It will be a place where such skills are generated, and in a way that can be practically applied, to benefit the economy.
"It will demonstrate how universities can best support a climate for growth. And it will mean that companies such as ours can continue to manage waste generated by households and companies in Newark and the surrounding areas, and that’s good for everyone."
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