Students to debate waste disposal

The issue of waste disposal is a pertinent one in the UK and many other countries these days. The demands placed on the environment by the throwing away of packaging, food and other such things are considerable and new, innovative solutions to the problems it creates are constantly being developed. This is why waste management companies now place considerable emphasis on recycling.

Indeed, such is the importance of these issues that a waste summit is taking place in Devon this month. The yearly event sees 60 young people from across the county get together to discuss the topic, the Mid Devon Star reports.In total, 60 year-ten pupils will take part in the activities, which will include talks, workshops and other such things. The aim of the gathering is to encourage students to think about how the area can enhance its record on the recycling rate, which currently stands at around 52 per cent. The occasion is to take place at County Hall in Exeter.

Commenting on the initiative, Councillor Roger Croad, cabinet member for environment regulatory services, said: “Many people living in Devon put a lot of effort into recycling and reducing the amount of their waste that goes to landfill, which is why we have the second highest recycling rate of any county in England.”

However, he added: “There’s still more that could be done and the summit aims to get pupils to think about waste and the challenges posed by the amount of packaging on modern consumer goods.”Waste disposal is an issue that is likely to remain high on the political agenda for a long time to come in Britain and elsewhere. For this reason, local authorities and waste management companies will continue to form new ideas and run initiatives regarding the methods used and how to boost recycling rates and make the practices more effective.