Archived press release

Gummer congtratulates do-little newspaper industry

7 January 1997

John Gummer's congratulations today to the newspaper industry for achieving 41.2%recycled content are unfounded. The attainment of a weak and unambitious target set by the industry itself in 1991 does not reflect the widespread demands for tougher action to protect the world's forests and reduce waste, and no new targets for further improvement have been announced. Almost 60% of the UK's newsprint still comes from virgin pulp,including from companies that are logging the last 5% of old, natural forest in Scandinavia.

Friends of the Earth backed a private members bill in 1992 by Labour MP Harry Cohen which would have set mandatory targets of 60 per cent of recycled content within four years. Friends of the Earth believes that a target of 80 per cent by 2005 is now needed.

Friends of the Earth is disappointed that Mr Gummer has been unable to exact any new targets from his "behind closed doors" discussions with the industry - instead an "Expert Working Group" has been set-up to do more talking. The newspaper industry has been in negotiation with government for years (since the setting of the 40% target in 1991) and the announcement of another discussion group is nothing new.

The announcement today of the publication of the average recycled content of ALL newspapers in each paper fails to give the consumer a choice and exert the required market pressure. Friends of the Earth has been calling for the publication of the recycled content of individual newspapers since the early 1990s, but it is only now the "Expert Group" has been mandated to examine ways of making this possible.

Dr Georgina Green of Friends of the Earth said:

"If Mr Gummer is so concerned about using the market and voluntary regulation to protect the environment then he should at least make sure that the consumer has a choice. The publication of the whole industry's performance rather than that of individual newspapers makes a mockery of the whole process. No wonder the industry doesn't feel that it needs to go beyond 40%".

The Government now needs to set mandatory targets, based on open, democratic debate. Tough statutory targets would also give confidence to the recycled newsprint manufacturing industry (currently considering long-term investment decisions according to a press conference today) that there would be a market for more recycled newsprint. Today's news promises no market for further production.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] Mandatory targets for recycled content of newspapers in the USA include: 75 per cent in Oregon by 1995, 50 per cent in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Missouri by 2000.

[2] Bath and North-east Somerset Local Authority are now being charged £5-10 tonne for paper from recycling banks to be collected. Ends Report 263 Dec 1996.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust