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Optimism as Britain carries on recycling
09.01.2009
Embargo: None
Contact: ESA Press Office Rebecca Messiter)
(020) 7591-3219 press@esauk.org
Britain’s leading waste and recycling companies are continuing to place materials with recycling processors, reports the Environmental Services Association (ESA).
“Local authorities of all political colours and the Government, working in partnership with ESA’s Members, have achieved a revolution over the last decade, with England’s household recycling more than quadrupled,” notes ESA’s Chief Executive, Dirk Hazell.
“Our Members report that, despite the slowdown in global economic activity and lower prices for collected materials such as paper and plastics, markets appear to be stabilising and shipments are continuing to British and overseas recycling reprocessors. It is not unusual to see pauses in trading activity over Christmas period and before the Chinese New Year but our Members report that stockpiling has been the exception, not the norm.”
“Economically competitive and environmentally sustainable recycling is a modern British success story, with collections at their highest ever levels and set to rise. While markets go up and down, recycling is here to stay and Britain must sustain its upward trajectory.”
Reflecting on recent press coverage, Mr Hazell concluded: “Our industry is doing its job in challenging global market conditions. To support present and future recycling and the valuable environmental job our sector is doing, we hope political leaders will in future first talk to rather than simply about us”.
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Notes to Editors
ESA is the UK’s sectoral trade association for waste and secondary resource management, an industry accounting for 0.8% GDP. For further details please visit www.esauk.org
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