Michael Baxter, British Polythene Industries' external affairs director has told attendees at the Recoup conference that the recycling industry is not in “crisis”.
In contrast to recent PRW reports of closures at Plasrecycle and CK Group as well as the notable closures of the various incarnations of Closed Loop, Baxter insisted at the Peterborough event held on 29 September, that low oil prices and in turn low virgin polymer prices have had no effect on the string of business failures.
He insisted: “The low oil price has nothing to do at the moment with the price of virgin polymer.”
Baxter added: “Closed Loop went bust when the price of virgin polymer was at an all-time high" and “Plasrecycle was doomed from the moment it started”.
Baxter took issue with PRW's reports of the sector, which have attracted comments from across the industry, including DS Smith, the British Plastics Federation and Axion Polymers.