The warning came at the BRPA’s annual dinner last weekend when he said: “There are those who would preach about proximity issues, local recycling and other such well meaning ideals. But, the reality is that as long as the UK remains a nett importer of new paper and push through recovery continues, we will need to grow exports to manage the fibre flow.”
Mr Humphries explained that the recovered paper industry had traditionally grown its recovery volume through a “demand-led pull for fibre”, although this had now changed. “In many cases the driver now is a push-through recovery system brought about as a result of legislation to remove waste from landfill. If local authorities do meet their targets and at least achieve a doubling of recycling rates by 2004 then that could possible deliver another 800,000 tonnes from domestic properties alone. This will ultimately deliver more recovered paper than the current UK paper industry can handle.”
Quality
Quality is an important issue for the industry’s customers, he emphasised. “We need to be watchful that in the rush by others to achieve their waste reduction targets we do not compromise the quality standards and therefore lose the opportunity that we have created as a high quality fibre supply market.”
Looking ahead, Mr Humphries cited the traceability of recovered paper as the next major issue to be faced with the expectation that suppliers of recovered paper will be able to identify the source and history of each bale or load.
- The annual dinner marked the ending of Mr Humphries term in office as BRPA president and he was succeeded by Martin Millar, managing director of SCA Packaging. Debra Smith of Hollands Recycling becomes president-elect. Within the paper industry, the BRPA has joined with other sector bodies in helping establish the new-look Confederation of Paper Industries.
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