Page 89 from: March 2013

89March 2013

Paper

all shipments from Rotterdam for all
grades, as well as a 100% check for
worldwide SMP shipments. Further-
more, Chinese mills no longer want to
take any risks and so are being highly
selective with regard to their sources.
Demand and prices for the middle and
high grades of recovered paper have
remained stable in India.

By Olaf Rintsch, Textil-Recycling
K & A Wenkhaus, Germany

UK exports up 1.1% in
2012
The UK, Europe’s largest exporter of recovered
fi bre, shipped more overseas in 2012 than in any
of the previous three years, according to data
released by the Confederation of Paper Industries
and HM Revenue & Customs.
The total of 4.491 million tonnes was 1.1% high-
er than the 4.444 million tonnes recorded in 2011.
However, exports were still approximately 8%
short of the all-time high of 4.847 million tonnes
established in 2008 – partly because December
last year saw the UK’s lowest monthly shipment
volume (308 488 tonnes) since November 2009.
UK collections of recovered paper edged up 1.5%
last year to 8.154 million tonnes while consump-
tion by domestic mills gained 1.7% to reach
3.822 million tonnes. The country’s paper and
board production climbed 1.6% to 4.412 million
tonnes in 2012; output of packaging papers and
boards jumped 8.4% whereas production of
newsprint and printings & writings slid, respec-
tively, 3.5% and 2.1%.

UK’s Clothing Roadmap
claims leadership award
The UK’s Department for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Waste & Resources
Action Programme (WRAP) have won the 2013
Global Leadership Award in Sustainable Apparel,
which was developed by The Sustainable Fashion
Academy (SFA), together with the Association of
Swedish Fashion Brands and other partners, in
order to promote initiatives within fashion and
sustainable development.
The award, which was presented in Stockholm by
Sweden’s minister for the environment Lena Ek,
honours the development of the Sustainable Cloth-
ing Roadmap and Action Plan, an initiative that
aims to reduce the environmental impact of cloth-
ing throughout its lifecycle. The venture brings
together industry, government and other interested
parties and is overseen by a steering group compris-
ing representatives from major retailers, brands,
recyclers, sector bodies, NGOs and charities.
Among its four working groups, one focuses
exclusively on diverting textiles from landfi ll by
improving collection and separation systems, and
on developing markets for reuse and recycling.
Key developments have included textile collection
guidance for local authorities and partners. The
other working groups tackle design, infl uencing
consumer behaviour and ‘metrics’, with the third
of these aiming to agree practical ways to mea-
sure and report reductions in carbon, water and
waste impacts of UK clothing.

Market overheated?

During early 2013, Europe’s used textiles market has
remained very tight. Some experts believe the textile recy-
cling market has become fi nancially overheated and needs
to reset itself if the industry is to avoid closures and job
losses. Original clothing is continuing to suffer from very
limited availability and the volumes demanded cannot be
satisfi ed. For the foreseeable future, there is no reason to
anticipate a signifi cant change in this market situation.
As a result of the high prices for textiles, illegal placement
of collection bins is on the increase once again as unscru-
pulous operators realise how profi table it is to sell at current
levels without having paid anything for the collected textiles.
Demand from Africa is still very good; for feathers and
shoes, prices have barely changed. Orders from Eastern
Europe have been growing steadily but better qualities are
required for this market. For wipers and recycling materials,
prices have been maintained at a higher level.

Textiles
Closed: March 4 2013

Textiles

Contributing to the
Recovered Paper Market
Analysis:
• Melvin de Groot (Van Gelder

Recycling, the Netherlands)
• Mariëlle Gommans

(Bel Fibres, Belgium)
• Steve Vento (Vipa Lausanne

SA, Switzerland)

RI_2-Paper&Textiles.indd 89 06-03-13 09:33