EMR beat off stiff competition from two other consortia, one led by Exeter-based property developers, the Michael Baker Group and another proposal from community recycling organisation ECT Recycling in partnership with German/Dutch company Louwman Haushaltsgerte.
London Remade, which has support from government and London local authorities, asked the three consortia to present their proposals in front of a selection panel after it could not make a decision from the written proposals.
A spokeswoman for London Remade said that EMR's partnership with Ozone Friends brings together the private and community sector. “The joining of a partnership between a huge private community and a small not-for-profit community-based organisation was a very positive aspect,” she said.
Crisis
London Remade hopes its funding will bring an end to London's fridge recycling crisis, which has been caused by the ozone depleting substances (ODS) regulations which came into force on January 1.
Andrew Mason, development director of European Metal Recycling, said: “We are very happy to be working with London Remade and Ozone Friends to help London Remade develop both fridge re-use and recycling in the London area. In particular we will be looking to find solutions for the plastics as well as recycling the metals.”
EMR will develop a fridge recycling plant at Willesden where it has an existing shredding operation with road and rail access. The re-use work will be carried out at an Ozone Friends site in London. The not-for-profit community organisation has a site at Canning Town but is expected to use another location for the fridge work. EMR, which is the largest metal recycler in the UK, is also planning the installation of other fridge recycling units, including one at Hartlepool in the north east of England.
Mr Mason added that EMR intends to have discussions with “other players in London including ECT Recycling with its important work with London local authorities.”
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