Recycling fear as paper stacks up

OLDHAM’S recycling rates have soared over the past six years but a drop in the demand for paper means there are stacks of waste piling up in warehouses across the country.

From a 7 per cent recycling rate in 2002-03, Oldham has upped its game and now has a rate of almost 30 per cent thanks to the introduction of managed weekly collections which sees householders separate their general waste, food waste, paper, tins, glass, plastic and garden waste.

In Greater Manchester, almost a quarter of a million tonnes of material was recycled or composted rather than being dumped in landfill.

In addition, residents took 95,000 tonnes of material to the 25 household recycling centres across the region.

Nationally, experts are predicting a crisis for the recycling industry as the market for waste paper collapses and private firms are forced to store all the material collected.

This could result in a rise in council tax as companies look to claw back costs from local authorities as all of Britain’s 80 paper mills refuse to take on new stock.

A spokesman for the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority said: “Our contractors are continuing to be able to find markets for the recyclable material collected although the position with the markets is currently challenged.

“Nationally, demand and prices for some materials have now dropped significantly.

“Our contractor sends Greater Manchester materials from households via merchants to a number of re-processors.

“Many local reprocessors are used such as paper mills and glass re-processors.

“There is assurance of compliance with regulations and examination of environmental aspects.

“Recyclable materials — such as paper and card — are sent to reprocessors to be made into new materials, while other waste is sent for further treatment or disposal.”