What Does the Waste Industry Think About the EU Referendum?

When we attended the letsrecycle.com Awards for Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management last month, Lord Deben devoted his keynote address to the upcoming EU Referendum, calling for the waste industry to support the case for the UK to remain in Europe. It was interesting for us to hear him talk, but there is no clear voice in the waste industry: some businesses want to leave, some want to remain, and others are undecided. We take a look at the waste industry’s views on the EU Referendum.

Lord Deben: Remain in Europe

Last month, Lord Deben spoke about how Europe has shaped the way we think and act about waste and recycling, reminding the audience that Britain was dubbed ‘the dirty man of Europe’ in the early 1990s as it lagged behind the rest of Europe with poor recycling rates.

He added: “It was the pressure of the European Union that brought us to the position we are today. We pressurised our colleagues to do other things which we are better at.”

As well as looking back to the past, Lord Deben looked to the future, arguing that British businesses won’t get a say in legislation if the UK leaves Europe.

He said: “If we have regulations of our own, we would still have to have the Brussels regulations for all the things that we export, and we depend on our export, so I don’t want people making regulations for us that we don’t have a say in. The worst possible position for the future is if we are outside, obeying all of the rules and we don’t have a say.”

Neil Grundon: Leave Europe

Not everyone in the waste industry is as keen as Lord Deben to remain a part of the EU. Neil Grundon, deputy chairman of Grundon Waste Management, argues that “EU regulation is holding us back from competing on the global stage.”

Looking to the history of waste management in the UK, Mr Grundon claims that the EU hasn’t had as big an influence as Lord Deben may suggest. 

He said: “It is worth remembering that some of the best environmental legislation was born out of Westminster, and that the birthplace of environmental activism was in the USA, Canada and the UK, well before it found its breeding ground in Brussels.”

Mr Grundon believes that leaving Europe would open the door to more opportunities worldwide, and reduce the amount of EU ‘red tape’.

He said: “Rather than focusing on what is an overcrowded and somewhat dysfunctional European marketplace, we [Grundon Waste Management] are looking to the emerging markets, where the cost of entry is more manageable, albeit the returns are smaller.”

Kristian Dales & David Burton: Neutral

ecosurety’s David Burton and the FCC’s Kristian Dales take a more measured approach to the EU Referendum. 

Mr Burton argues that “in the world of waste and recycling, there will be no noticeable difference on the ground whether the UK stays in or decides to get out of the EU this summer”. He believes that if the UK leaves the EU, we will still be trading to the same (or similar) regulations, as other non-EU countries like Norway and Switzerland do today.

Meanwhile, Mr Dales says that a Brexit could leave the waste management industry in an unclear position, but ultimately the sector has bigger problems.

He said: “The industry faces a number of system constraints – weak policy, outdated legislation, devolved agendas, a lack of leadership on vision or strategy – and an in/out vote is not going to fix that anytime soon.” 

However, he believes that the vote “does offer the opportunity, regardless of the outcome, for the industry to re-engage with Government.”

At WT Skip Hire, we’re following the EU Referendum debate closely. Do you think we should stay in Europe or break away? Maybe you haven’t made up your mind yet. Join the discussion and let us know on Facebook and on Twitter at @WTSkipHire.