DS Smith Recycling UK MD discusses quality drive in Materials Recycling World

In November 2017, Materials Recycling World published their Big Interview with Mathew Prosser, Managing Director of DS Smith Recycling UK.

The interview took place in October 2017 at the DS Smith Recycling facility in West London. Mathew Prosser discussed DS Smith’s drive to boost the quality of paper for recycling and its upcoming trials into coffee cups recycling, while outlining the robust quality control systems that he has spearheaded since his appointment as UK MD.

Part of that quality drive was the introduction of quality control teams, who work with DS Smith Recycling’s customers as well as supporting our existing operations. The team’s commitment to a “proactive approach” to quality control has led to technological investments, as well as increased physical inspections and a system of documenting photographic evidence.

Mathew Prosser said:

“You can say: ‘Is it to bash people because their quality is poor?’ No – it is about educating people to produce a better input, a consistent input, that makes everybody’s life better commercially and production-wise. It allows investment because it gives confidence throughout the whole supply cycle that, ‘yes, that’s a good product coming in’.”

The interview also praised the health and safety commitments at DS Smith’s operations, which made an “immediate impression” on Robin Latchem, the editor of MRW, who carried out the interview.

Coffee cups were a key focus of the interview, and Mathew’s role in the Paper Cup Recovery and Recycling Group. He described the recyclability of coffee cups as “part of a wider issue of tackling value chains”, pointing out that, as with many things, if the design is right, the materials that go into the cups are “eminently recyclable”.

The full interview is available on the MRW site, for subscribers , here – or can be read in this month’s edition of the magazine.