I-Plas Blog
Posted on: Tue 23rd Jun 2009
There has been much comment recently about the collapse in the price for recycled waste as global demand falls, particularly from China. Apparently some Councils were looking to store recyclable waste in old warehouses rather than dump it in landfill such was the severity of the situation. Then demand started to pick up again but with this uncertainty surely there needs to be a better and more local solution?
Why is it that so much waste is shipped to the Far East for recycling? Instead of sending our unwanted rubbish half way round the globe because some nation has had the foresight to set up efficient recycling plants to capitalise on the profligacy of the West, we should be concentrating on home-grown solutions. Local government actively involved with local commercial enterprises to find a local solution to a global issue.
Many local councils have worked very hard to improve recycling rates but this all counts for nothing if the facilities aren'™t there to cope with this waste. 'śRecycle '" the possibilities are endless'ť has a somewhat hollow ring when the only possibilities are that your waste is being stored in an old Woolworths warehouse or shipped to some far off land using precious natural resources to get there.
There is a very delicate balance here. Consumers can see through green wash very quickly and recycling rates will fall if there is the merest indication that waste is not being appropriately handled.
Here at i-plas we continue to do what we have always done. We see no let up in local waste to feed our plant and certainly no shortage of demand for the useful products we make from this waste. Currently we can recycle 3,000 tonnes of mixed plastic waste per year and we take our responsibilities seriously, so we only collect this from a 60 mile radius of our plant. We don'™t want to be adding to CO2 emissions by driving around the country as this is just a nonsense.
The introduction of food miles on packaging is intended to help consumers make informed choice and perhaps a concept of recycling miles would have the same effect. I know what I would rather buy.
