Today I caught a glimpse of the future, and it involves some very large rotating drums.

A colleague was excitedly showing off some photos on her phone.

We gathered round, eager to see what was causing such glee.

Pictures of food? Children? Dogs, maybe? None of these.

My co-workers were cooing and gasping over the interior of the new mechanical waste treatment plant that is being built at Forest Road, Newport.

I was soon joining in.

Yes, that huge mechanical claw is so big you can hardly see the workers assembling it.

And those rotating drums?

They are called trommels, and they are as big as train carriages.

All of this set in what must surely be the Island’s biggest indoor space.

So why is this a big deal?

Let me tell you.

Did you know we on the Island are already among the best recyclers in the country?

Last year the IW’s recycling rate for household waste was 53 per cent, well above the national rate of 45 per cent — and that’s before the new plant is even open.

There are many things we don’t agree on — in fact, sometimes it seems like everything — but regardless of political persuasion, we all seem to have the same view about rubbish and recycling.

Litter and waste should be cleaned up.

Waste should be recycled, not buried or dumped.

And soon we’re going to be doing even more recycling in the new, clean, efficient plant at Forest Road.

What I suggest is that when that new factory is finished, and our waste is chugging through it night and day, we turn this into a tourist attraction on a national scale.

It isn’t often we get to show those mainlanders how to do it, but this time we will.

I mean, that’s another thing we are really good at, isn’t it?

Making a tourist spectacle out of things.

Who would have thought you could fill an old swimming pool with hoses and old ladies would pay good money to gawp at it?

Or that people would queue for hours to watch a donkey refuse to draw water up a well?

Those are nothing compared to this.

The new attraction will bring in those who are curious about what happens to the stuff in the bins, those who like to see a tidy environment and, of course, those who just want to see massive machines doing exciting things.

I count myself in all three camps.

Every schoolchild on the Island will visit the plant, see what happens, and take away a lifelong understanding of why it actually matters which bin you put your crisp packet into.

Every adult will get a free ticket to Waste World to appreciate the work that goes on behind the scenes to keep our lovely Island green and clean.

I’ll be first in the queue.

I want to have a go on the trommels.