WASTEPAPER DISPOSAL (Hansard, 3 February 1976)

§ Lord SHINWELL
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ The PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE, DEPARTMENT of INDUSTRY (Lord Melchett)
My Lords, the paper and board industry recycled about 1.7 million tonnes of wastepaper in 1975. That was about 20 per cent. less than in 1974. The reduction was caused by a fall in demand for the industry's products, which is in turn due to the economic recession. In the longer term, however, the industry foresees an increase in the amount of wastepaper it will be able to recycle.

§ Lord SHINWELL
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that a year ago I put down a similar Question as a result of which the Government were stimulated to take the appropriate action? Can my noble friend say whether the fact of processing wastepaper has any beneficial effect in reducing the cost of newsprint imports?

§ Lord MELCHETT
My Lords, I am aware that my noble friend asked a Question a year ago and I have taken care to study what was said on that occasion. So far as reducing the cost of imports is concerned, my understanding is that at the moment the amount of paper which is made from recycled paper is, on the whole, of a different quality from the kind of paper that is made from pulp which is largely imported.

§ Viscount HANWORTH
My Lords, would the noble Lord agree that it is possible to recycle a far larger percentage than we are doing at the present time? Furthermore, would the noble Lord say whether the de-inking plant which is necessary for re-using newspaper print is adequate for the purpose, and, if not, what steps are being taken to increase this facility?

§ Lord MELCHETT
My Lords, I agree that it would be possible to recycle more paper than is being recycled at the moment. As I said in my original Answer, the industry foresees a considerable increase in the amount of wastepaper that will be recycled in future years. There are various difficult technical problems to be overcome, and currently we are funding research into some of them.

§ Lord ORR-EWING
My Lords, has the Minister noticed that in Scandinavia, where they are not short of the raw material, they are now by law making it necessary for housewives to separate paper from other waste that they throw away each day? If that is necessary in Scandinavia, surely we in this country could do something to encourage people to separate their wastepaper and look at it as a valuable commodity, since this would save an immeasurable amount in foreign exchange if it could be done and if technical and scientific processes could be encouraged by the Government?

§ Lord MELCHETT
My Lords, as I said, we are encouraging the technical and 1229 scientific processes necessary before the wastepaper currently available can be used by the wastepaper industry. The problem arises not from a lack of wastepaper; there is more than enough of it in this country, even after it has been sorted by housewives, or by anyone else. At the present moment the industry has no capacity to use the wastepaper available to it.

§ Viscount HANWORTH
My Lords, is the noble Lord, Lord Melchett, aware that the percentage of wastepaper that we recycled during the war was far higher than the amount we recycle today? Is he also aware that in some other countries the percentage is greater than it is here? Does the noble Lord really think there are technical barriers to re-using a larger amount?—becausethis seems a very doubtful statement.

§ Lord MELCHETT
My Lords, there are technical barriers to re-using larger amounts in the British paper industry as currently constituted. We import paper of a type and quality made from pulp abroad much more cheaply than we are able to make it in this country, partly because the manufacturers have on their doorsteps supplies of raw materials necessary for making it. As far as the percentage of recycled waste paper used by the British industry is concerned, my understanding is that in fact we use a higher percentage than the paper industry of any other country.

§ Lord SHINWELL
My Lords, the supplementary questions seem to have removed some of the complacency which the Government exhibited. Can my noble friend Lord Melchett say whether it is possible to stimulate local authorities in the collection of wastepaper? Would he approach his right honourable friend responsible for this matter, to see what can be done?

§ Lord MELCHETT
My Lords, I would not accept for a moment that the Government have shown any complacency at all in this matter. Nobody has yet mentioned the first report of the Waste Management Advisory Council, published two weeks ago, which the Government are urgently considering. This report contains a number of recommendations to get rid of the present overcapacity of wastepaper, and the inability 1230 of the industry to use it. That is the important thing, not to encourage people at the present moment to collect more wastepaper for which at present there is no demand.

§ Lord LEATHERLAND
My Lords, is my noble friend Lord Melchett aware that we spend £300 million a year in importing wood pulp for paper-making? Is he aware that if we were to save a further 1 million tons a year, we would benefit our balance of payments to the extent of £100 million a year? Is he further aware that paper-making and board-making are cyclical industries, and that at the moment the warehouses of the paper manufacturers are more than loaded with stocks of wastepaper? Is my noble friend further aware, therefore, that many local authorities have had to cancel their collections of wastepaper? Now I come to the main point, which has not so far been mentioned. The paper-manufacturing companies are asking the Government whether they will finance the holding of extra supplies of wastepaper at their mills. Does not my noble friend think it would be a good idea if the Government stepped in and compensated them for this capital that is lying idle, so that they can use more wastepaper, and the local authorities can collect more wastepaper?

§ Lord MELCHETT
My Lords, I am aware of my noble friend's long and detailed interest in the subject. I think I have dealt with his first supplement question about imports. I am aware of the cyclical nature of the industry, and, indeed, that is the main problem. That is what has caused the problem at the moment of excess stocks of wastepaper which the industry is unable to use. I am aware of the suggestion that the Government should finance an excess stock scheme. That is one of the suggestions put forward by the Waste Management Advisory Council, whose report I mentioned. This is something the Government are considering. I would add also that Her Majesty's Stationery Office, as a result of the report of the Waste Management Advisory Council, are now specifying that a certain percentage of paper they buy for certain purposes must contain recycled paper. If others followed their lead, it would help the industry to use more wastepaper.

§ Lord SHINWELL
My Lords, I am very grateful for the interest of my noble friend Lord Melchett in this matter. I shall watch what happens in the future. I might put down a similar Question during that period.

§ The Earl of KIMBERLEY
My Lords, is the noble Lord, Lord Melchett, aware that if we cannot recycle all the wastepaper that we have in this country at present, it could be used in agriculture for bedding and for feeding store cattle? Could that side of the question be investigated?

§ Lord MELCHETT
My Lords, along with others, I await with interest to see what happens when the yards are mucked out at the end of the winter season before making any definite decisions about how useful the paper is. The Waste Management Advisory Council will be undertaking research into other uses for wastepaper.