Recycling UK MD presents at Resourcing the Future 2017

On 28 June 2017, Mathew Prosser, UK Managing Director for the Recycling Division, presented at Resourcing the Future – one of the most important conferences for the recycling and resources industry in the UK.

Resourcing the future is run by a number of trade and industry bodies: the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management (CIWM), the Resource Association, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), and the Environmental Services Association (ESA).

Mathew had been invited to speak following his presentation at the CIWM’s Resource Cymru event in March this year.

On a panel entitled ‘Risks, opportunities and the ‘Brexit’ Factor’, Mathew discussed the impact of Brexit on UK material markets, saying that the industry should widen its focus and remember that we are still part of a global commodity market regardless of Britain’s place in the EU.

His comments were well received, especially his assertion that regardless of the volatility of pricing for secondary raw materials, a commitment to quality remains the best safeguard for ensuring sustainable recycling both in the UK and beyond.

Peter Clayson, General Manager of Business Development and External Affairs at DS Smith Recycling, is also a board member of the Resource Association. He said of the event:

Mathew Prosser’s presentation aligned with many comments at Resourcing the Future. A strong central message of his session focused on the requirement for that quality remain the industry’s key deliverable, whether we are part of Europe or not. As Mathew said, from an industrial point of view, we need to focus on what’s important to the industry and collaborate more across the sector.

Key Updates

Resourcing the Future is a platform for the resources and recycling industry as a whole to discuss present and future challenges.

Valpak ‘PackFlow 2025’

Valpak, the UK’s leading environmental compliance scheme, manages the obligations of UK businesses under producer responsibility laws. On Day 1 of Resourcing the Future, they launched ‘PackFlow 2025’ – a report summarising of 12 months of research into EPR systems and their performance across Europe.

PackFlow 2025 considers whether the UK’s current system can deliver on the Circular Economy Package’s targets, and assesses the strengths and the drawbacks of the existing process. The report also proposes a number of models – ranging from an update to the current system, to a completely re-imagined approach – in order to stimulate discussion.

Janez Potočnik on Global Leadership

Janez Potočnik, the former EU commissioner for the environment and current Co-Chair of the UN International Resource Panel, gave a keynote address to delegates on Day 2 of the event.

His presentation offered an overview of why we should all be interested in sustainability, framing the discussion in terms of population growth and its threat to the finite resources of the world if we continue consuming resources as we are.

Dr Potočnik – the creator of the original Circular Economy Package, in 2014 – went on to say that the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals need to be taken seriously, and that there is a need for global leadership and “global governance” on matters of sustainability.

Other Key Points

  • WRAP want to create a vision for moving to a more consistent collection scenario
  • Many delegates discussed the importance of engaging with policymakers
  • Brexit is not anticipated to impact on circular economies, or on the UK’s place in the global commodities market 

Mathew Prosser's presentation is available for download here below.

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