Talking to companies in the card sector, it is evident that the economic downturn has had an effect on throughput, with lower sales producing less packaging waste for collection. In one sub-region, Calderdale, there is also a report of increased competition for this diminished feedstock. More optimistically, the market price is gradually stabilising around levels seen prior to last year's slump.
Resource efficiency expert Mark Gregory joined REY from Resource Futures where he was project manager for the UK-wide Community RePaint initiative. He is a member of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (MCIWM) and the Society for the Environment (Chartered Environmentalist).So how do businesses tackle the problem of reduced supply and increased competition? The REY programme is seeking to work with the sector to extract higher tonnages from the waste stream and achieve higher value for this material.
Research conducted by REY has identified an additional 500,000 tonnes of waste paper and card from business and household sources that could be recovered each year, within the Yorkshire and Humber region. REY is working to identify how this material can be diverted from landfill to recycling or re-use.
The sector needs to identify trade sectors and geographic hubs generating higher volumes. REY is promoting the benefits of recycling to businesses, to make collections more attractive to producers and operationally feasible to recyclers.
For end users, contamination has proven to be a major issue; for example newsprint reprocessor UPM-Kymmene has reported that dealing with contamination cost them £2 million in 2008. Therefore, reducing contamination, all along the supply chain, will benefit waste producers, collectors and reprocessors. Higher value will be obtained for feedstock through improved collection, handling, storage and transportation methods. There are real opportunities to increase collections and resolve contamination issues.
Smarter approaches to business efficiency are in high demand and the region has many operators with the skills and the knowledge to meet these needs. Over the next two and a half years, REY will continue to bring players in the sector together to forge new relationships and develop new business opportunities.
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