Bridgwater MP Sir Ashley Fox visited Wessex Associated Industries at Dunball Wharf to tour their plastic recycling operation and discuss the pressures facing local recycling firms.
The family-run business, established in 1987, employs 35 people and recycles around 4,000 tonnes of end-of-life plastic each year - including wheelie bins, oil tanks, children’s toys, and milk crates - turning them into reusable granulate for new products.
During the visit, Ashley Fox met company founder and chairman Ged Butcher and his team for a site tour and discussion on issues such as the impact of rising energy costs, recruitment challenges linked to Hinkley Point C, competition from imported virgin plastic, and Environment Agency regulations.
Speaking after the visit Ashley Fox said, “Wessex Associated Industries is a great example of a long-standing local business doing the right thing for both the economy and the environment. Recycling 4,000 tonnes of plastic each year is no small achievement. But it’s clear that small and medium-sized businesses like this are under enormous pressure from rising costs, such as the increase in National Insurance, and complex regulation.”
He added, “Government policy should work with, not against, small firms like Wessex Associated Industries that are doing the right thing for jobs and the environment.”
