Foley Park Recycling Centre is one way forward for dealing with waste says Euro-MP.

5.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 18th May 2004

West Midlands Euro-MP Liz Lynne today visited the Foley Park recycling centre in Kidderminster and praised the company for highlighting the need to recycle rather than throw away household items.

She was given a tour round the site, which received a £750,000 grant by DEFRA to set up an electrical appliance refurbishment centre in addition to the furniture recycling facility that has been there for the last 6 years.

Speaking following today's visit the Liberal Democrat MEP said:

"The Foley Park Recycling Centre is the type of facility we need in the UK as it both protects the environment and services local people.

"All the staff at the Centre are highly skilled, community minded people who care passionately about recycling. They re-use, recycle and repair electrical appliances that would otherwise be at the end of their life and make these available to people in need at a discount price.

"The centre will also help the local community with the requirements of The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive when it becomes UK Law in August.

"This EU Directive seeks to minimize the impact that electrical waste has on the environment by providing for free of charge collection facilities at member state level and requiring environmentally friendly treatment and disposal of WEEE goods. The Government have been too slow to act in the light of this directive, so it is good to see organisations such as Foley Park taking the lead for their communities.

"More than 200,000 fridges are discarded in the West Midlands every year. It is therefore important for our environment that charities such as these continue to safely recycle the mountains of fridges, electrical items and furniture that we throw away each year."

ENDS