Page 109 from: May 2013
109May 2013
Paper
Textiles
Closed: May 2 2013
By Olaf Rintsch, Textil-Recycling K & A
Wenkhaus GmbH, Germany
unwilling to take the risk presented by
these stringent checks. Inspectors who
know little or nothing about recovered
paper are looking for any fragment of
non-fi bre so that containers can be
rejected. All parties involved in the
paper industry believe that quality
checks are important but that the
severity of the actions taken by the
Chinese authorities makes no sense.
With material bypassing China, mills in
other countries are obtaining their fi bre
needs more easily and so have dropped
their buying prices. The decline for most
grades has been between US$ 10 and
US$ 25 per tonne, with expectations that
further reductions of up to US$ 10-15
could be seen. Prices are deemed unlike-
ly to go any lower given that collection
volumes are worsening by the day.
On average, latest freight rates are
lower by US$ 100 per container for all
destinations.
Decent demand meets
tight supply
In Europe, the market for used textiles remains
really tight. Some voices have been heard to
talk about stagnating prices in Africa but
demand from this quarter remains strong.
The lengthy winter in Northern Europe – with
its unusually low temperatures and plentiful
snow – served to reduce available quantities of
original clothing. It remains to be seen wheth-
er the more recent increase in temperatures will
boost collection volumes and whether this will
have an impact on future price developments.
In the foreseeable future, there is no reason to
expect a signifi cant change in prices.
Demand from Eastern Europe is growing steadi-
ly, especially for the better qualities. Prices have
barely changed for feathers and shoes, and the
same applies to wipers and the recycling
grades.
The illegal placement of collection bins contin-
ues unabated and is increasingly irking the
authorities. Almost every day, new press reports
appear on this topic but unlicensed collectors
nevertheless continue with their activities, tak-
ing advantage of legal loopholes and the inabil-
ity of the authorities to identify them.
Entries sought for European
Paper Recycling Awards
Managers of paper recycling projects, initiatives
and campaigns that contribute to Europe’s sus-
tainability are being invited to stake their claim
to a European Paper Recycling Award.
The two award categories are Information/Education
and Technology Improvement/R&D. Eligible initiatives
will be evaluated by an independent jury according to:
relevance and originality; achievements; possibilities
for reproducing the project; and cost-effectiveness. The
initiatives may be ongoing or completed, and they must
already have started (but not before January 2009).
Winners will receive not only valuable recognition but
also an original piece of paper artwork, which will be
offi cially handed over in an award ceremony at the
European Parliament in Brussels. ‘NGOs, educational
institutes, local authorities and industry have imple-
mented many innovative projects to enhance paper
recycling all over Europe but these initiatives are gener-
ally not well known,’ state organisers at the European
Recovered Paper Council (ERPC). By raising their profi le
with an award, the organisation hopes to ‘inspire oth-
ers to copy good practices’.
All entries must be submitted by midday on
June 28 (Brussels time). For more information, visit
www.paperforrecycling.eu/recycling-awards
or contact Jori Ringman-Beck at the ERPC secretariat
(Tel: +32 2 627 49 19, Email: [email protected])
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-4_Analysis Paper&Textiles.indd 109 06-05-13 11:10
