The move by the PaperChain organisation to take the kerbside sorting message to the secretary of state was announced through a press release issued by the Campaign for Real Recycling. PaperChain supports the campaign, which has been actively involved in lobbying on the Welsh strategy; PaperChain represents UK recycling mills apart from Palm Paper in Norfolk.
The Campaign favours kerbside sorting and states: “Our concern is that collection systems that gather a range of different materials in one bag or bin and then compact them could permanently undermine the environmental and financial benefits of recycling.”
Savings
The action by PaperChain will follow the publication of the Welsh waste strategy today (June 21) which emphasises minimisation and endorses kerbside sorting. PaperChain says that tax-payers “will save a lot of money if the Welsh strategy is followed in the UK”.
However, PaperChain has now indicated to letsrecycle.com that it is not being overly prescriptive about the processes used for collection, despite strong comments by one of its member companies in support of the Welsh strategy.
The pledge to take the Welsh strategy to Mrs Spelman came from Chris White of both PaperChain and a “major industry buyer of recycled newsprint” Aylesford Newsprint.
Mr White said: “I want to thank the minister publicly. Jane Davidson was the first government minister in the UK in my 40 years with Aylesford Newsprint to show any interest in what we UK reprocessors needed.”
He added: “She listened to our delegation carefully and instructed her team accordingly. This strategy is top quality from a reprocessor's point of view as a result – it certainly leads the way in the UK and I will send it to Caroline Spelman, Jane Davidson's opposite number at Westminster as a benchmark, to try and save English tax-payers a lot of money and heartache as DEFRA reviews the English Strategy.
“The supporting scientific evidence published on the Wales website is totally compelling and covers all aspects including the carbon footprint – climate change count so close to the Minister's interest and of course the Assembly's coalition document 'One-Planet Living'.”
Processes
In the wake of the response to the Welsh strategy, others in the paper sector have indicated to letsrecycle.com that PaperChain does not wish to be overly prescriptive about the processes used for collection.
Simon Weston, chairman of PaperChain and managing director of SmurfitKappa Recycling told letsrecycle.com: “Yes, we support the Campaign for Real Recycling but we have been in the business of promoting quality rather than process for a long time.
“In an ideal world we believe we get the best quality from source separation but we recognise that the world has moved in adifferent direction.”
Mr Weston continued: “We are after the best outcomes for the UK industry and we understand the influences that are coming to bear on the industry from a range of directions.
“We will continue to support a quality agenda and that the best quality in the majority of cases comes from source separation but we don't dismiss the fact that quality material can come from MRFs if they are properly organised.”
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