Controversy over recycling sent to Malaysia

Recycled cardboard being sent more than 6,600 miles away to Malaysia has sparked concerns over a council's carbon footprint.

Opposition Conservative councillors questioned how environmentally friendly it was for Cotswold District Council to send recycling halfway across the world.

The council said it was steadfast in its commitment to addressing the climate emergency and achieving net-zero carbon emissions.

Cabinet member Tristan Wilkinson said it had a commercial agreement with its contractor Thamesdown Recycling and what happens to the recycling "is kind of down to market forces, unfortunately".

Paper and cardboard collected by the council are first processed at JM Freeths, Thamesdown's recycling depot at Cricklade.

Paper is then processed by Palm Paper in Norfolk, while cardboard is sent to Muda Paper Mills in Malaysia to be made into new products, the Local Democracy Reporting Service was told.

Conservative councillor Jeremy Theyer said: "The more digging you do, the worse it looks.”

Speaking at a meeting on Wednesday he said he could not believe sending the cardboard to Malaysia was “environmentally friendly” when it could be processed in the UK.

Mr Wilkinson said there is a long and complex supply chain when dealing with recycling.

“Our responsibility is to collect it at the kerbside and then we take that to Thamesdown where there is a commercial agreement in place,” he said.

“What happens thereafter is kind of down to market forces, unfortunately. There is a commercial value to cardboard."

Conservative councillor David Cunningham said the council’s waste should be deemed an “Exocet” anti-ship missile.

“We don’t just fire and forget it, do we? We should care what Thamesdown does with it," he said.

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