The massive recycling plant in Avonmouth, operated by waste management giant Viridor, will cease operation by year’s end after only two years. Costing a steep £100 million to build and employing 120 staff, the facility has struggled due to tough market conditions. This news has sent the readers of Bristol Live straight to our comments section to have their say on where it went wrong.
Viridor cites pushed-back legislation aimed at ramping up UK plastic recycling rates as a factor in their decision. The company conveyed its position, saying, “Policies announced and planned under the previous government to increase UK recycling, as set out in the 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy, have been repeatedly delayed and have not, to date, been implemented.”
Moreover, an oversupply in the global market for virgin polymers, fuelled by an upswing in production in more cost-effective markets outside of Europe, has led to a fall in both demand and price for recycled plastics. Europe’s recycled plastic supply has also been edged out by imports from these lower-cost nations, contributing to the pressures on Viridor’s operation.
The decision to shut down the Avonmouth plant has sparked worries about job losses and the effect on workers. Viridor is presently in talks with staff about potential reassignment opportunities within the firm.
One of our readers, Thecookedsock, had this to say: “‘Policies announced and planned under the previous government to increase UK recycling, as set out in the 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy, have been repeatedly delayed and have not, to date, been implemented.’ No surprise to see the anti-growth and anti-business incompetent Tory Government making life more difficult for business.”
Commenter Alreadyinusenotbyme writes: “Anyone thinking of starting a business needs to do a shed load of market research before committing any money to the business. Especially if you’re going to spend £100 million! This company obviously loves to waste money, and can clearly afford to, but it’s pretty stupid to say the least. Sorry for the employees having their lives played with by this strange company.”
Mrgreedy says: “They collected from my dental practice. And were pretty rubbish. Pardon the pun?”
LuciusSuperbus asks: “I wonder what will happen to the 1,600,000,000 plastic items that they recycle every year?”
Kingswoodbiffo says: “When you can buy recycled plastic from abroad cheaper it makes you wonder where it will end.”
Over on the Bristol LiveFacebook page – Charlie Galloway ponders: “I do wonder if these processing sites should be mandated use, to ensure the right thing is done and not simply the most profitable? The facility was built to reduce waste plastic export and resultant plastic pollution. The plastic incinerator next door I suspect will be burning more plastic waste, as a result of ridiculously high energy prices in the UK, making this decision a no brainer for a profit making organisation.”
While Chloe Naldrett writes: “This is distressing news. With the inevitable decline of oil and gas on the horizon, Big Oil companies are counting on plastic to maintain their profits in the decades to come, which might explain why the market has undermined this facility as the article suggests. We’re already swimming in it, and it is accumulating in our bodies: how much more can we stand?? Recyling plastic has always been a communications project at best: it isn’t really recyclable, and certainly not in the vast amounts that we consume it. We absolutely have to reduce our dependency on it. Demand reduction, not recycling, is the answer. Sad for the jobs being lost here, and sad that more plastic is likely to be burnt, affecting the health and welfare of citizens in and around Avonmouth as a result.”
Ian Sparrow adds: “I remember passing this everyday when it was being built and half the road closed off, now it’s closing, Britain going backwards.
What do you think will happen to the site once operations have stopped? Let us know in the comments below or HERE.