EA issues guidance for materials storage as prices plunge

The guidance, issued as the price for recovered paper reached £1 a tonne and recovered plastic and steel reached zero, makes provisions for the safe storage of materials.

In a statement the EA said: “Demand and prices for some materials have now dropped significantly and we want to ensure that this does not undermine public confidence in the value of recycling, nor lead to unacceptable environmental consequences.”

A spokeswoman for Sita UK described the situation as “pretty dire” and said the company has started stockpiling materials where it has space.

“We are trying to keep materials moving even if it means selling materials at a reduced price,” she added.

Earlier this week a series of meetings between the EA, Defra, Wrap and the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme were held to look at the market and discuss potential ways forward.

In a joint statement the organisations said: “We will all continue to work together in the best interests of the environment, to monitor developing markets and keep the situation under review.”

It is now expected that the materials recycling facility sector will increase its gate fees in attempt to recover losses.

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