The company today complained of “trial by media” since the programme singled it out for allegations of breaking the law through exporting mixed household rubbish abroad for disposal, which Grosvenor denies.
In a statement, Grosvenor Waste Management said: “We categorically deny the allegations that recyclable material was or has been exported for disposal to landfill. We do not deal with 'mixed household waste' which the programme repeatedly confused with 'recyclable material'.”
The company said the programme was “poorly researched and accused the programme-makers of making a “series of unsubstantiated, unfair and sensationalist assumptions and claims”.
Explaining the company's position, Grosvenor spokesman John Twitchen told letsrecycle.com: “Grosvenor only operates in recycling – not in landfill or anything else. Material filmed by the BBC has been recycled.”
Ridiculed
The Environment Agency was ridiculed by Grosvenor for suggesting in the BBC programme that guidance on exporting recyclables abroad is clear and unambiguous.
“If the guidance is unambiguous, why are a group of industry experts and the Environment Agency still debating the issues some eight months on?” it asked, referring to the working group that met earlier this week to discuss waste exports (see letsrecycle.com story).
Concerning specific consignments of recyclables found in Rotterdam and Indonesia, Grosvenor said material in Rotterdam had been sent back earlier this year, and had been recycled, while the Indonesian material was owned by a German company. Grosvenor explained that material had been collected across Europe, and would contain British materials.
The company insisted it has evidence that this material has been recycled, and moved to reassure customers that “we have not and never would export material for disposal or destruction as alleged”.
Motive
Grosvenor's statement said: “With an allegation of 'illegal' activity such as this, one would have expected the BBC to have at least considered what possible motive a company like Grosvenor, which is totally founded on recycling and does not handle 'mixed household waste', would have to export material half way across the world for landfill? “Commercially, it is absurd to suggest that material would be exported for landfill.”
Mr Twitchen questioned the reporting within the BBC programme, stating that while the BBC investigation began in the summer, Grosvenor was only contacted for comment very recently. He suggested that interviews with other industry and local authority figures had not been included in the film, that the views of the buyers of recyclable material were omitted, and that information reported earlier this year in the national and trade press had been ignored.
Mr Twitchen also pointed out that the only company that has been prosecuted over waste exports was neither featured nor named within the “Real Story” programme.
Grosvenor said it will now contact media regulators Ofcom concerning the programme. It said: “We made our concerns very clear to the BBC in advance of last night about the potential for the programme to damage UK recycling achievements and investment, along with our strong concern as to the fairness and accuracy, and we will now be contacting the media regulator, Ofcom.
“Grosvenor is now considering what legal action to take against the BBC for this singular, unsubstantiated attack on the company,” it said.
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