Page 36 from: October 2014
36 October 2014
The final day of the RWM recycling and waste management exhibition
in Birmingham coincided with Scotland’s vote on independence from
the rest of the United Kingdom. But despite the potentially enormous
implications of the decision being taken ‘north of the border’, it was
business as usual on the show floor of the UK’s leading recycling event
where the main topic of conversation was the extent to which eco-
nomic factors continue to impact equipment purchasing decisions.
UK business prospects have been buoyed by a flow of generally positive economic data
over recent months. Even the markets’ nervous-
ness surrounding the possibility of Scotland
breaking off from the rest of the UK has been
calmed after the independence referendum on
September 18 produced a decisive ‘no’ vote.
Nevertheless, the majority of exhibitors ques-
tioned at the latest RWM recycling and waste
management show – held over three days at
Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre in
mid-September – spoke of a recycling equip-
ment market in 2014 that, to a large extent, has
failed to live up to expectations.
Fred Bell, business manager for waste, recycling
and demolition at material handler icon JCB,
reckoned the company’s UK sales into these
sectors are broadly ‘level’ with last year’s per-
formance, with many would-be buyers yet to
shake off their reluctance to invest in a new
Beware ‘lax’ enforcement
This was the first RWM show to be held since
last October’s implementation of the new Scrap
Metal Dealers’ Act in England and Wales. And
while some early problems appear to have been
largely ironed out, Ian Hetherington – the
director general of the British Metals Recycling
Association (BMRA) – has expressed his con-
tinuing concern over enforcement.
The new legislation replaced a 1964 act and put
in place a more effective licensing system for
scrap metal dealers. All site-based and mobile
scrap dealers have been obliged to seek a licence
from their local authority which, in turn, has
been checking on the suitability of applicants to
operate as scrap metal dealers. The act extended
an earlier ban on cash payments for scrap metal
to all metal dealers, and one of its key objectives
has been to tackle metal theft by limiting poten-
R W M T R A D E S H O W
Market falls
short of
matching the hype
Ian Hetherington: ‘Lax enforcement ends up being bad law.’
machine despite more conducive tax and cred-
it conditions. On a positive note, he suggested
the UK market is faring significantly better than
some others in Europe; most noticeably ‘under
pressure’ is Italy whereas Spain is now ‘showing
signs of improving’.
Chris Oldfield, managing director of shredding
technology specialist Untha UK, agreed that
there is ‘still a reluctance to commit’ to new
equipment. However, he added, the market
appears to have ‘woken up’ and is ‘getting better’
in the second half of 2014 after a ‘slow’ first six
months to the year. He pointed in particular to
mounting demand for processing solutions for
hard drives and confidential paper – for exam-
ple, from firms taking back IT equipment as
well as from facilities management companies.
Also on the plus side, Oldfield noted that Untha
UK is taking on new engineering staff and
building up its service department.
UK’s leading
recycling and waste
management event
RI8-RWM.indd 36 07-10-14 11:01
