News

The Recycling Association has launched a new logo, brand identity and slogan.  Using an orange and black colour scheme, it is an evolution from the previous brand colours of yellow and black.  A new slogan, The Voice of the UK Recycling Industry, has also been revealed.  The Recycling Association chief executive Paul Sanderson said: “The…

The Recycling Association chief executive Paul Sanderson said: “Simpler Recycling should end the confusion around what can and can’t be recycled and we welcome the focus on the dry core materials of paper and card, plastics, metals and glass packaging. “But it is disappointing that local authorities in England will be able to commingle this…

The Recycling Association held its annual Race Day at Stratford-on-Avon race course on 9 October 2023. On a beautiful and warm sunny day, almost 70 people got together to network, eat a delicious three-course lunch and of course watch the horse racing. As this was a recycling themed day, all of the races were sponsored…

Paul Sanderson said: “I welcome the idea communicated by Defra of ‘Simpler Recycling’ as part of the Prime Minister’s changes to environmental programmes as long as we don’t fundamentally change the consistency reforms. “Hopefully, this will translate to a genuinely easy-to-recycle system that the consistency of collection reforms promised and is essentially a rebrand to…

The Recycling Association has written to Environment Minister Rebecca Pow (pictured above) asking her to reconsider whether low-risk facilities that currently operate under a waste exemption should need to apply for a new permit. In the letter, The Recycling Association has asked that existing facilities that operate under a waste exemption are able to exercise…

The Recycling Association chief executive Paul Sanderson said: “This further delay to implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility is unbelievable.  “We’ve been waiting too long for EPR and Consistency of Collections to be introduced, and we need to get on with it.  “Both of these policies have the potential to transform the UK recycling landscape, and…

The Recycling Association has said that the National Audit Office (NAO) report on resources and waste reforms shows that Defra needs to get on with implementing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Consistency of Collection. But The Recycling Association believes that the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) should be abandoned in its current guise to get on…

The Recycling Association and IWPP Annual General Meetings were held at Champneys Mottram Hall in Cheshire on 10 May 2023. Around 100 people attended the AGMs, while approximately 85 people engaged in either the golfing or shooting activities followed by dinner and networking in the evening. These are the prize winners for 2023: Member Champion…

The Recycling Association has said that the delay to implementation of the Scottish Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is welcomed, but a digital DRS should be investigated first. It has also suggested that if DRS were to be introduced in the UK, it should be consistent both in timing of implementation and the materials involved. The…

The Recycling Association has expressed its anger that the chief executive of the Environment Agency has undermined legitimate exports of recyclate by calling for an export ban. Speaking at the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee in Parliament this week, Sir James Bevan gave his personal opinion that “sending certain wastes abroad is legal,…

The Recycling Association has appointed Paul Sanderson as its new chief executive, while Chris Burton will become the new managing director of its subsidiary IWPP Limited. Current chief executive Simon Ellin has announced his retirement at the end of March, and a revised structure has been put in place with the new appointments. Previously, Simon…

The Recycling Association has said that the implementation of a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will complicate the roll out of Extended Producer Responsibility and consistency of collections. Defra today issued the Government’s response to the consultation on DRS. The Recycling Association chief executive Simon Ellin said: “I’ve never understood why we need DRS when we…

As we get closer to the end of another year, it was time for Members of The Recycling Association to get together for the annual Christmas lunch. Taking place at the Institute of Directors in London, and attended by around 160 people, it was an opportunity to enjoy a three-course lunch and network with colleagues…

Joseph Doherty, Managing Director, Re-Gen Waste in Newry and member of Defra’s Advisory Committee on Packaging, urges caution around banning plastic exports. The cross-party Environment Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee has called for a ban on the export of all plastic waste from the UK by 2027. This would seem to be a sledgehammer…

The Recycling Association has warned that waste crime will continue to happen, even if exports of plastics for recycling are banned. MPs on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee have called for the Government to ban exports of recyclable plastics by 2027 and introduce measures to reduce them before then. But The Recycling Association…

Organised waste crimes should be the focus for Environment Agency action, The Recycling Association has said. It supports the findings of the Public Accounts Committee that suggested waste crime is on the rise despite a target in the 2018 Resources & Waste Strategy to eliminate it by 2043 (see more https://www.letsrecycle.com/news/mps-accuse-government-of-decriminalising-waste-crime/). The Recycling Association believes that…

The Recycling Association is looking for an experienced and knowledgeable person for the role of Chief Executive Officer. ·         You will be an experienced and entrepreneurial professional with a proven track record in the recycling industry. A detailed knowledge of recovered paper is essential, and a working knowledge of plastics and other materials is preferred. ·         You…

The Recycling Association held its annual Race Day at Stratford-on-Avon Racecourse on 3 October 2022. Around 75 people, mostly from Member companies, attended the networking event. As well as The Recycling Association, some Members also sponsored races. Below are the photos of for the Best Turned Out Horse presented to the groom and the Winner…

The Recycling Association chief executive Simon Ellin has announced his intention to retire from the role. He will leave the Association in March 2023. Simon joined the Independent Waste Paper Producers as commercial director in 2009 and in 2011 replaced David Symmers as chief executive of both The Recycling Association and IWPP following David’s retirement.…

Recycling will be the favourite at Stratford-On-Avon racecourse next week, when the recycling industry takes over the meeting. All races at Stratford-On-Avon racecourse on Monday 3 October are being sponsored by Member companies of The Recycling Association. Around 75 Members from the Association will also be in attendance at the meeting, as part of the…

The Environmental Services Association, with support from the British Plastics Federation (BPF), Recycling Association and RECOUP, has today (29/09/2022) published a defined quality standard for post-consumer recycled plastics, with the aim of driving consistent standards across the sector.  The Quality Standard for Recycled Plastics, published today, was drafted by the ESA in consultation with the aforementioned…

I really enjoyed RWM/Letsrecycle Live last week, even though I was rushed off my feet the whole time. As usual, The Recycling Association had a stand and Members and other friends of the Association took the time to come and chat with myself, Chris Burton and Paul Sanderson. My impression, and from talking to others,…

The Recycling Association has said that plastic recycling does work following a statement to the contrary by the Big Plastic Count. Indeed, The Recycling Association chief executive Simon Ellin warned that the people behind the Big Plastic Count were “irresponsible” for saying recycling doesn’t work and for sowing seeds of doubt in the public mind.…

Proposals in the Scottish Government’s Circular Economy Bill for business waste collection zones will be damaging to the recycling industry The Recycling Association has warned. In its consultation, the Scottish Government has said it intends to introduce pilots of business waste zones, managed by local authorities, in 2024. After this point, it would look to…

The Recycling Association had its AGM, golf and shooting day and dinner at Celtic Manor Resort in South Wales on 10 May 2022. Below are photos from the day. If any participants have further photos to add, please email them to paul.sanderson@harosa.com And finally…

On 10 May 2022 at Celtic Manor Resort in Wales, Annual General Meetings were held for both The Recycling Association and its trading company IWPP for the 2021 financial year.

Read this full report about how The Recycling Association supported its Members last year.

The Members of The Recycling Association have voted for Celine Grant to become its vice president at its annual AGM. She will take over from Craig Curtis as president in 2024. The board of The Recycling Association decided to put a process in place for a succession for president. Celine is currently a board member…

The Recycling Association has criticised the “dangerous language” used by Environment Agency chief executive Sir James Bevan. In a speech at an event organised by Letsrecycle.com and the Environmental Services Association, Sir James expressed his personal view that all waste exports should be ended. The Recycling Association chief executive Simon Ellin warned that conflating waste…

A blog from Restore Shred. New textile mountain range discovered in Chilean desert… OK, so that’s not quite true. But it is true that there’s a 100,000-tonne fast fashion landfill dump in Chile’s once pristine Atacama Desert that’s doing a pretty good impersonation of a mountain range. This was in the news around Christmas and…

Senior people from The Recycling Association recently attended the ISRI Convention in the United States to strengthen international cooperation in the interests of its members. The Recycling Association president Craig Curtis, chief executive Simon Ellin and The Recycling Association trading arm IWPP commercial director Chris Burton were invited as special guests to the US Institute…

The Recycling Association has welcomed the Government’s response to the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Consultation In its original response to the Consultation, The Recycling Association had criticised the proposals on business waste for looking to fundamentally change the way these materials were collected. It warned that the original proposals could have put some of its…

Poland will require all waste transport into and transiting through the country to be registered from 1 February 2022.

As one of the UK’s leading secure data shredding businesses, Restore Datashred is pleased to announce that we have completed on the acquisition of the assets of The Shred Centre, a well-established, family-run shredding company based in the North East of England.

Lee Thickett has joined digital traceability and compliance business Traqa as head of UK operations.

The recycling association welcomes separate collection consultation by DEFRA.

The Recycling Association calls for separate collection of paper and cardboard as part of quality first roadmap

China and Indonesia show need for UK paper mill investment.

The export of recycled materials has a place in part of a global economy, but these need to be high-quality materials.

CS Recycling managing director Craig Curtis has been elected as the new President of The Recycling Association.

A call for a ban on exports of plastic packaging for recycling has caused concern for The Recycling Association.

We’re delighted to announce that we are launching a new recycling conference along with seven other influential recycling sector associations.

We believe the publication of the UK Plastics Pact Roadmap to 2025 is an important milestone in UK plastics recycling.

A new Quality Control (QC) scheme has been jointly developed by The Recycling Association and CCIC London to meet Chinese paper export requirements.

The announcement that Kellogg’s has introduced a Pringles container recycling scheme is a fudge that doesn’t solve the issues.

The Recycling Association will launch its 2018 Quality First Report at RWM. In the report, Association CEO Simon Ellin calls for the UK’s approach to recycling to be simplified.

John’s funeral will be held on Sat 22nd Sep at Braddan Church, Braddan, Isle of Man at 10:30am, with a wake afterwards at the Sefton Hotel.

The Recycling Association has been invited to be a partner at The Packaging Innovations Show taking place on 12th and 13th September at Olympia, London to help the packaging sector raise its recycling game.

The Recycling Association will once again be exhibiting at RWM.

Earlier today we received an emailed letter and poster, written by Rayer Fay from Northumberland who at just five years old is full of awesome feistiness.

Packaging manufacturers and retailers need to fund the cost of recycling more, according to The Recycling Association chief executive Simon Ellin.

There needs to be a relentless focus on improving the quality of recycled materials or risk losing markets, according to The Recycling Association.

There’s nothing like a live TV quiz to focus the mind. That’s how it felt sitting on the BBC Breakfast Red Sofa, first thing Saturday morning, giving a definitive answer on whether exhibit A or exhibit B could be recycled.

The Recycling Association chief executive Simon Ellin said: “Normally, we would welcome any proposal that in principle would lead to an improvement in quality. Clearly, a deposit return scheme for plastics bottles, glass bottles and cans is likely to lead to a purer stream of material to recycle.

Simon Ellin considers the impact of the Chinese restrictions on importing recovered paper and plastics under National Sword.

The Association is sad to report that Joe Brown, General Manager of Riverdale Gateshead, has passed away after a short illness.

In all my years in the recycling sector, I have never before experienced a time like this. Make no mistake, we’ve had turbulent times before, but when the going got tough, we were able to turn to the export market and trade our way out.

The Recycling Association has welcomed the launch of the Government’s 25-year Environment Plan* but would like to be assured that this will be backed up by supportive policies to ensure it is delivered.

A meeting between the American Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) and Chinese Government officials has highlighted potential chaos over recycling imports, according to Simon Ellin.