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PaperChain withdraws support from "2007 Recycle Now Week"

1 June 2007

It is with regret that PaperChain announces its withdrawal of support from the “2007 Recycle Now Week”.

PaperChain has actively supported the event, previously called the “Big Recycle”, since its inception in 2004, but feels the campaign is failing to deliver a message that supports sustainable recycling.

In the initial years of the campaign there was a huge increase in the number of committed recyclers in the UK. This was a great success, however the message on maintaining quality throughout the collection process has never been actively or effectively promoted to the public. PaperChain has serious concerns that with the huge increases in single stream (co-mingled) collections, particularly popular with Local Authority kerbside collection schemes, the UK is storing up long term market issues and failing to support the requirements of the reprocessor.

Single stream (co-mingled) collections of mixed dry recyclables carry higher risks to recovered paper quality, as the paper and board are exposed to other materials. Although material recovery facilities (MRFs) are able to segregate the material streams to a reasonable quality when they are running well, such facilities invariably end up generating recovered materials that are not up to the standards required for reprocessing without further sorting and cleaning. Paper reprocessing is a continuous, capital intensive process, and mills cannot risk damaging their machines and failing to meet the needs of their customers due to raw material quality problems. Any shutdown, or reduction in process efficiency during the papermaking process, also has a negative impact on the Mill’s carbon generation and, against the key principles of effective recycling, causes increased waste levels. No matter where in the world a paper mill is situated it cannot make paper from glass bottles, metal cans of plastics. Paper recovered from single stream (co-mingled) collections carries higher contamination risks than segregated collections (material collected separately from other recylables at the point of production), and therefore UK Mills are less willing to take material from this stream.

PaperChain Chairman Martin Green said, “PaperChain has been an active supporter of the ‘Recycle Now’ campaign but feels the “2007 Recycle Now Week” should be used to focus public sector attention on quality and sustainability, rather than to simply continue to promote increased collection levels. It has been great that the number of committed recyclers has risen significantly through the initial years of the campaign, but the recycling levels achieved, and increases going forward, must be sustainable with developing end markets, and this can only be achieved through effective quality management. The fantastic success in promoting recycling in initial years of the campaign will count for nothing if the material collected does not meet the needs of the re-processor and customer.”

He added, “UK paper reprocessors are seeing some very poor quality recovered paper coming onto the market, and are unwilling to take the risk of using this material because of the negative impacts on the paper making process. The bottom line is that a paper mill cannot recycle tin cans, food, and plastics into new paper products. Poor quality is not sustainable recycling; it is unnecessary and avoidable waste. PaperChain have serious doubts as to the long term sustainability of recycling in the UK if the lack of focus on quality continues.”

It is hoped that the campaign message can be tailored to reflect some of PaperChain’s concerns, and that full support can be re-established in 2008.

PaperChain is now a major sponsor of “The Real Recycling Campaign”, which has been created to promote debate and awareness of recycling best practice and segregated collection of recyclable materials.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

  • For additional information on PaperChain, in the first instance please contact Catherine Watson, External Affairs Coordinator, on 01793 889612 or email cwatson@paper.org.uk.
  • PaperChain Members used around 3 million tonnes of recovered paper and board in 2006, representing 71% of recovered paper and board used in the UK, and 37% of recovered paper and board collected from the UK waste stream.
  • For more information on the “Campaign for Real Recycling”, please visit: http://www.realrecycling.org.uk