Brexit could drive UK circular economy: Axion Polymers

2 Nov 2018

Axion Polymers believes Brexit offers fresh opportunities for the UK and its manufacturers to secure their raw material supplies, such as recycled plastics, from a stable domestic market and stimulate a circular flow of materials.

The North West-based plastics recycler suggests that potential difficulties in transporting material across borders after 29 March 2019, the set date for the UK’s depart from the EU, should become a driver for growth in the domestic market, with purchasers seeking to reduce inward material supply chain risk.

Axion Director Roger Morton asserts that freedom from regulatory controls and external policies, coupled with the ability to set our own rules, could result it in greater investment and allow the UK to ‘get ahead of the rest of Europe’ in material recovery and resource security, on the basis that there is strong Government leadership.

Axion produces its high-grade recycled Axpoly polymers at two sites in Manchester. Plastics are extracted from end-of-life cars and other metal scrap at its SWAPP facility in Trafford Park and further refined at Salford, where recent laboratory equipment investment is further enhancing the products’ properties and quality.

Mark Keenan, Axion Polymers Business Development Manager, commented: “With 31.5 million cars currently on UK roads, our future end-of-life vehicle feedstock for our recycled polymers is assured.

“And that can only be good news for UK companies seeking to use locally-sourced plastic raw materials that can go back into a range of products, from new cars and electrical equipment to construction products,”

Roger Morton said: “Brexit is inevitable now. Although complications could arise, we are taking a positive approach. British companies should focus on the opportunity that leaving the EU offers and how we can make the most of our resource sustainable position.”

While material quality controls, such as REACH regulations and other standards, should remain ‘mirrored with Europe’, Roger suggests there could be an opportunity to ‘take the lead by designing and implementing a set of regulatory measures that drive the transition to a circular economy here’.

Such measures could involve heavily-modulated producer responsibility obligations for brands that make the most effort to change to fully recyclable designs and/or utilise high levels of recycled content.

Roger commented: “This would require vision and a brave government with strong leadership. But in an uncertain world; what’s certain is that material would be available in the UK for use in the UK!”

One of the long-term benefits of Brexit, he believes, should be that we can stop mass exports of waste plastic packaging and WEEE, and start investing in recycling infrastructure in the UK as an ‘environmental goal’.

Roger suggests there is an opportunity for the UK Government to drive the development of recycling demonstration and pilot ‘pathfinder’ plants once we are free of ‘state aid’ regulations that prevent preferential treatment by governments.

He added: “UK businesses need to wake up to these future possibilities and start talking to suppliers like us that can offer a secure supply of material. It’s competitive on price, performs to the same standard as virgin material – and it’s low carbon!

“We’ve seen an increase an enquiries in recent months and there’s a lot of interest from UK manufacturers in what we can offer. Despite current uncertainty around Brexit, we remain upbeat about the opportunities to trigger more material moving within the circular economy in the UK!”

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