Speaking at the 92nd annual general meeting yesterday, TRA president Terry Ralph said the work textiles recyclers were doing in diverting material from landfill was being overlooked. He said Defra needs to see the sector in a new light.
” We only started asking for help when we saw that it was not economically viable in the future for us to carry on the way we have been, but government has not been interested.“
– Terry Ralph, TRA president
Mr Ralph told members: “Because we have never collected the details, no-one has any idea how much we keep from landfill. We are a victim of our own success. We have moved textiles for many years. We only started asking for help when we saw that it was not economically viable in the future for us to carry on the way we have been, but government has not been interested.”
Mr Ralph pointed out that some textile recyclers did not survive through 2004, and very few that came through a very difficult year unscathed.
The Association hit out at WRAP, the Waste and Resources Action Programme earlier this month for a lack of support at a time the textiles industry faces the threat of cheap clothes imports (see letsrecycle.com story).
Definition
One of the key issues that Mr Ralph said was hindering the industry's progress was the definition of textiles as waste. According to the EU Commission, everything that is picked up by the textile industry is waste, and only once grading has taken place and clothing identified as suitable for re-use does it cease to be classified as waste. Clothes that are destined for recycling or disposal remain as waste.
Because this definition varies from the Environment Agency version, textile recyclers are unsure whether they need waste carriers' licences or waste management licences.
Mr Ralph said: “We are waiting for the Environment Agency to confirm in writing the stance they are taking on this issue. Although we are directly answerable to the Environment Agency we should possibly stick to the European interpretation. I would say that at this time everyone should follow their own thoughts on this matter.”
Credits
The TRA has also said that it wants Defra to adopt a re-use credit system as well as recycling credits. Alan Wheeler, national liaison manager for the TRA said: “We will be pressing Defra to include the payment of re-use credits in their review of the recycling credit payment system.
“We will also do all that we can to ensure that Defra's current preferred option of paying recycling and re-use credits to profit-making organisations is brought to fruition,” he added.
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But Mr Ralph said he felt there would be a simpler way of dealing with the idea of re-use credits. “I would like to see recycling and re-use treated in the same way as a single entity diverting waste from landfill. The important thing is that waste is diverted, so why should we specify differences?” he said.
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