Export will continue until government helps small recyclers

Many individuals and companies in the recycling and waste industry have commented that too much of the UK's waste is exported, but according to John Rennie of Trident Recycling Ltd this trend will continue until small companies are given more help.

”It is all well and good small recyclers wanting more material and wanting waste to stay in the UK, but at the moment many don't have the facilities to sort the material and that is where the costs build up for businesses and local authorities“
– John Rennie, Trident Recycling Ltd
Mr Rennie's comments come following plastic recycler Centriforce's claims that more of the UK's recyclable waste should be dealt with locally rather than being exported (see letsrecycle.com story).

He said: “It is all well and good small recyclers wanting more material and wanting waste to stay in the UK, but at the moment many don't have the facilities to sort the material and that is where the costs build up for businesses and local authorities.”

Mr Rennie pointed out that the cost of recycling is increased when local authorities and businesses have to separate their waste down to different types of plastic. Waste exported is sent unsorted, or segregated only into individual materials meaning costs are less, according to Mr Rennie.

“What these smaller companies need is the facilities to sort the materials themselves,” he said. “But the equipment required can cost 750,000. They don't have the money to spend on that kind of equipment.”

Providing


Mr Rennie believes that the government need to put more aid into providing this kind of equipment to companies if it wants to see UK materials reprocessed in this country more often.

He said: “Unless the government is prepared to step in and help fund smaller reprocessors things are not going to improve and export is going to continue to be seen as the better option.

“I think the government needs to have a real good look at what is going on with reprocessing rather than peaking over the fence,” he added.

Glasgow-based Trident Recycling Ltd specialises in proving segregation equipment for companies to deal with their waste. They then take the segregated materials and pass them on to reprocessors.