Shanks.

Shanks Group plc is now one of Europe's largest independent waste management companies handling a wide variety of wastes. Formerly known as Shanks & McEwan, Shanks.waste solutions has two operating companies in the United Kingdom, its Waste Services and Chemical Services.

Shanks Waste Services provides a wide range of industrial, household and commercial waste management services. These include collections, road and rail bulkwaste haulage, recycling, composting, waste treatment, containment landfill, electricity generation, organic waste recycling and land and contaminated land remediation.

The Chemical Services activities cover high temperature incineration, industrial cleaning, combustion systems design and production, solvent recovery and recycled liquid fuel production.

Within the Martson Vale, Shanks has two landfill sites, one site at Brogborough and the second at Stewartby. You normally know when you are near one of the landfill sites by the flocks of seagulls soaring above and the number of waste disposal lorries on the roads!

There has been controversy over the landfill sites from the local residents regarding the odour particularly as it is so close to residential areas. Shanks has been endeavouring and is continuing to resolve these problems. In 1991 a new power station was opened at Brogborough. The gas given off by the decomposing rubbish on the landfill site is used to generate electricity.

The waste is used for a good purpose as by displacing fossil fuel they help to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and acid gases such as sulphur dioxide. There is also a similar site at Stewartby.

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