Jonathan Short – Managing Director at ECO Plastics Ltd
Jonathan Short is the managing director at ECO Plastics Ltd, the UK’s leading and highest quality reprocessor of recyclable materials.
After graduating with an honours degree in accounting from Newcastle in 1985 he started work in the recycling sector and now has over 25 years of experience within the industry.
How is your industry helping to improve the image of manufacturing?
It is important for the recycling industry to be represented in this campaign. It is testament to how far the industry has come in recent years that we have been invited to participate – I doubt this would have been the case even ten years ago.
We work in an area of manufacturing less likely to attract the headlines enjoyed by, for example, the automotive and aerospace manufacturers, but I would argue that in terms of sheer growth potential, our area of manufacturing can compete with the best of them.
What more needs to be done to increase interest in manufacturing and engineering?
First impressions need to change. People automatically think of China or India when you mention manufacturing. We need to show them how much we make and in our case, re-make, here in Britain. Manufacturing offers the same career opportunities and salary levels as the professions.
It is essential we dispel this myth that Britain is a services-only economy. We are much more than that, and the Industry Champions and the Make it in Great Britain campaign are testament to that.
