WRAP, seen by the government as the key to developing markets for recycled materials, was the focus of attention for the committee which draws member from across the political spectrum.
Crispin Blunt, Conservative MP for Reigate, attacked what he perceived as the “vacuousness of the organisations’s business plan at this early stage” and expressed the fears that the government could be passing on the responsibility for achieving the recycling targets to WRAP and then “see it fall flat on its face”.
Struggle
WRAP chairman Vic Cocker struggled to get the message over that the organisation does not fully start work until January. And, he surprised some MPs when he claimed that “WRAP is able to take a strategic approach to waste management for the first time”. He was immediately challenged as to what the organisation could bring that government departments or even research assistants couldn’t do.
Explaining the role of WRAP, Mr Cocker – formerly chief executive of Severn Trent which owns Biffa Waste Services, said that it will take each of the waste streams and put together a business plan together with the scale of investment needed. “Our target is to have something in place by April 1.”
Mr Cocker also pointed to the world markets for materials as being a problem. “Yes we believe the markets are a problem at present which is a reason why WRAP was established to develop new markets”.
In particular, he said in the paper and PET markets recyclers can become exposed.
In contrast David Dougherty, an adviser to Wrap, appeared to suggest that the organisation would not necessarily be targeting paper and plastics as these were influenced by world markets. He pointed to Wrap working on materials that needed to be handled more close to home, including organics, wood waste and glass.
Asked by the sub-committee chairman Andrew Bennett to convince everyone “that you are going to do something dynamic”, Mr Cocker emphasised that everyone needed to be involved in the process of Wrap drawing up its business plan.
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