Did you know Sweden has become so good at recycling it now has to import waste from countries around Europe just to keep its recycling plants going?
Astonishingly, less than 1% of its own household rubbish is sent to landfill.
This means Sweden imports and burns enough waste to power a heating network that keeps homes all across the country cosy and warm through the winter.
No more need for bobbly hats and reindeer onesies!
We’re still a long way away from reaching such a seamless and nationwide waste-to-energy system in the UK.
We do, however, have substantial waste recycling schemes in operation.
In fact, hundreds of millions of pounds of investment has gone into recycling facilities and energy recovery plants.
And, of course, these programmes and plants need skilled workers to keep them going – and keep us all heading in the right, carbon-free direction.
So what other eco-friendly jobs are out there that could see you recycling your own career?
Well, first up is the all-important role of recycling operative.
Go for this job and you’ll be working on the frontline, gathering recyclable materials.
These include everything from plastics and paper to glass and metal, collected from homes and businesses and taken to waste collection sites to be sorted.
Or you may fancy progressing from the frontline to the role of Recycling Officer?
This requires a mix of marketing and PR skills, backed up by a sound knowledge of waste management or environmental sciences.
On a Monday morning you might be writing a press release for a local newspaper on new recycling schemes and in the afternoon running a workshop for local school kids on the best ways to cut down on waste.
An HNC, HND or degree will help this career progression but there are also entry opportunities through environmental conservation apprenticeships.
Then there is the role of recycled metals worker. A superhero with nerves of steel, your mission will be to sort scrap metal before grading, cleaning and baling it all for a brand new life in machines and buildings.
For this you’ll need some experience of working in metal fabrication. Qualifications in operating cranes or forklifts will also see you move to the front of the queue.
It just goes to show not all manufacturing and production jobs involve making things: some are all about saving materials to be used another day.
Start recycling your career in Manufacturing & Production with s1jobs.com