Responding to the publication of the Publically Available Specification (PAS) document by WRAP this week (see letsrecycle.com story), the Confederation of Paper Industries said the document was an “excellent example” of waste paper suppliers co-operating to improve quality.
The document should minimise the risks of failing to take advantage of what is a simple material to recycle
Peter Seggie, CPI
PAS105 provides advice for stakeholders in the paper recycling chain and sets out actions that should be taken to minimise contamination from non-paper streams, which is common with household waste recycling.
Peter Seggie, CPI's Recovered Paper Sector Manager, said “It was a pleasure to work with all the stakeholders in developing a document that sets out the key criteria for quality management for recovered paper through the whole recycling process.
“It was clear throughout that there was consensus on the need for a reference document that highlighted the key points in the recycling process, and offered advice to the entire recycling chain on good management practices. To this end, the document can be deemed a clear success,” he added.
Quality
In order to reprocess paper more efficiently, paper recyclers believe that quality is crucial- especially as more and more paper is recycled in the UK. At present, waste paper in the municipal waste stream makes up around 35% of the total recovered paper collected in the UK, but this is expected to rise to about 45%.
CPI also estimates that there is still 2 million tonnes of paper and card available for England's municipal waste stream alone.
Mr Seggie explained, “With further growth in waste paper recovery expected in the municipal sector over the coming years, the document should minimise the risks of failing to take advantage of what is a simple material to recycle.”
PAS 105 documents are available free of charge by contacting the WRAP helpline, or requesting the documents via the standards & specifications page on the WRAP website.
Subscribe for free