Last year, scrap metal recycler Wojciech Topkin’s attempt to move into the plastic export business didn’t go well. It was just “too risky”, and he was “forced to give up”, he tells E&T.
The problem for Topkin, whose company JPM Futures has been recycling scrap metal for 15 years, was that as a plastic exporter, he must prove that materials originate in the UK before he can ship them for recycling. However, he is not convinced all plastic waste provided by his local suppliers originated in the UK. “A rubbish company in Uxbridge showed me a mixture of different types of waste,” he recalls. “If you have 200 bags pressed together, how am I supposed to split them and search for evidence that the bags are not from France or China? It’s hard for smaller companies – it’s too much hassle and risk because if something goes wrong, I am responsible for the load to be transferred across Europe.”
While some legitimate firms like Topkin’s may be put off by the shady...