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BISHOP FOLLOWS THE PAPER TRAIL TO SMURFIT KAPPA MILL
Added: (Thu Nov 27 2008)
PRESS RELEASE
27 November 2008
BISHOP FOLLOWS THE PAPER TRAIL TO SMURFIT KAPPA MILL
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Rt Rev David Urquhart, hitched a ride with the crew that collects his paper recycling box and travelled to the Smurfit Kappa mill in Nechells, Birmingham to learn more about how his waste is recycled into new packaging materials.
The Rt Rev David Urquhart, Bishop of Birmingham, said: "I have always been impressed with the way Birmingham City Council deals with waste - collecting it from my home in sorted batches ready for recycling - and I have wanted to know where my rubbish ends up. It is great to know that rubbish is recycled so locally - that is good news for both the environment and the economy."
David Cowing, Commercial Manager for Smurfit Kappa Recycling in Birmingham said: “There has been a lot of negative media coverage about the recycling that people have diligently sorted being stockpiled all over the UK because the downturn in markets has made it difficult to sell materials on. But at Smurfit Kappa Recycling this is simply not the case because we can reprocess the material in our UK paper mills to make new packaging materials. We are delighted that the Bishop of Birmingham came to see this for himself. It is very important that we maintain public confidence in recycling so that the residents of Birmingham continue with the great job they are already doing, supporting a local industry and protecting the environment at the same time.”
The Bishop’s visit, which took place last week [21 November, 2008] marked a prequel to his Big Green Giveaway. The festive initiative, organised in partnership with Birmingham City Council’s Fleet & Waste Management division, aims to encourage shoppers in Birmingham to minimise waste and maximise recycling by passing on unwanted gifts or consider alternative ways of giving this Christmas.
Dave Green, Acting Assistant Director for the Council’s Fleet & Waste Management said: “We are delighted to support the Bishop of Birmingham’s Big Green Give-Away and thanks to our recycling partners Smurfit Kappa Recycling, we are able to give the Bishop an insight into what happens to his recycling once the crews have picked it up. It also helps to reinforce the recycling and reusing messages that we as a division are promoting this year.”
Smurfit Kappa Recycling is one of the largest reprocessors of paper and cardboard in the UK, with its two mills, in Kent and Birmingham, recycling 500,000 tonnes of paper and card a year. Birmingham City Council’s links with the Smurfit Kappa mill in Nechells is a major success on the recycling front as it reduces the carbon footprint of the recycling trucks that collect the paper and card as well as providing local employment.
www.smurfitkappa-recycling.com
Ends.
Contacts
Mike Challans, Business Development & Marketing Manager, Smurfit Kappa Recycling
Tel: 01827 892100 or 07771 834622
E-mail: mike.challans@smurfitkappa.co.uk
Emma Stuart, Recycling Communications Officer, Birmingham City Council Recycling:
Tel: 0121 675 5490
Email: emma.c.stuart@birmingham.gov.uk
Jessica Foster (Bishop of Birmingham’s Big Green Give-Away):
Tel: 0121 426 0438
Email: jessa@birmingham.anglican.org
About Smurfit Kappa Recycling:
Smurfit Kappa Recycling is part of the Smurfit Kappa Group, the world’s largest fibre-based packaging group. Bringing together the resources and experience of two well known and respected recycling and packaging companies, Jefferson Smurfit and Kappa Packaging, the company unites increased coverage and improved technologies to provide high quality paper collection and recycling services. In the UK, Smurfit Kappa Recycling provides sustainable solutions for businesses and organisations of all sizes, including recovery of cardboard, office papers and plastics, security shredding and waste disposal.