Candover Green 2018 - FOCUS ON WASTE.............

Happy New Year from the team at Candover Green – we hope that 2018 brings success and prosperity to all.

A quick overview of 2017 shows that the industries in which we work: Waste Management, Environmental, Energy, Engineering, Sustainability, Transport, Logistics & Marine grew in 2017 and generally outstripped the wider economy: long may this continue.

There is no doubt that following the UK’s European Union membership referendum of June 2016 there was an almost instant knock to confidence in the economy which manifested itself as an immediate hold on many recruitment activities. Fortunately, after some months, owing as much to necessity as an increase in confidence, these ‘freezes’ appeared to thaw and recruitment got back to similar levels to those experienced just prior to the referendum. This steady level of sustained recruitment growth has continued across most industry sectors in which we operate.

Our strongest area of growth and our main focus for the past few years has been Waste Management and the associated fields of Energy from Waste, Anaerobic Digestion etc. We will continue to focus on this area of our business in the coming year and beyond. Notwithstanding, there are definitely challenges ahead for the waste industry. The UK Government’s Chief Scientific Officer recently stated that, “We need to change from a mindset of managing waste to one of increasing resource productivity”. Environmentally, this is unquestionably the right approach, but how do we go about changing the mindset of an industry sector that is renowned for being somewhat set in its ways..?

The CSO continues in a recent report that, “Waste nationally and globally is increasingly problematic and challenging to policymakers. It is a problem that is increasing in scale and scope. It matters to all of us for a series of reasons:

• There is simply so much waste. In a country with a small land area and a large population, the sheer bulk of waste is in and of itself a problem.
• As humans congregate in cities around the world, the production of waste has become highly concentrated and that creates particular challenges for its collection and disposal.
• Much waste is harmful. The scale of that harm has become global. It harms both humans and the other species with which we share the planet. That harm comes in many forms.

With more than 7 billion people on the planet, and more than 65 million living in the UK, we are producing ever-greater quantities of waste that are damaging the environment. The planet itself will survive, but that may not be the case for our descendants, nor for the other species with which we share the planet. Indeed, the waste products of humanity are now so abundant and indelible that they have caused a debate within the geophysical community about whether it defines a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene.

Here in the UK, we can and should do much more to reduce our waste and manage it more effectively. That requires all of us to act in new ways. This will be for our economic good, as sparer and more effective use of resources will reduce costs and increase productivity. Furthermore, it is a business opportunity for the UK to create the resource-efficient goods and services that will be needed around the world. The time is ripe for a comprehensive look at our waste policies as the UK exits the European Union. A key role for government is to provide leadership. But we are all in this together, and unless a majority of us care about waste then not much will happen. Cultural change is at least as important as technological change. There is evidence that younger generations are more environmentally aware and less materialistic than older generations. These values are going to be extremely important if we are to move to a society that conserves its resources more effectively.”

We, at Candover Green care passionately about waste and the environment and through recruiting the very best of talent into these industries; we aim to play our part in affecting the positive change proposed above. All the indicators are all pointing to a strong and vibrant 2018 and we are very excited about the year ahead.

We have a seasoned and successful group of consultants. If we can be of any assistance, whether you are considering a career change or looking to expand your team or company, don’t hesitate to call. We can assist with most levels of talent acquisition, from technical to commercial through sales and business development to administration and senior leadership.

Thank you for your support in 2017, all the best for 2018.

With best regards,

The Team at Candover Green