Wera Hobhouse, Bath’s Liberal Democrat MP, recently stepped away from Westminster’s political arena to visit Portals Paper Limited’s iconic Bathford Mill. Her visit on August 19 offered a firsthand look at the enduring legacy and current hurdles of the UK’s paper industry.
Portals Bathford Mill boasts a remarkable heritage dating back over 900 years, with records of a mill on the site as far back as the Domesday Book of 1089. Paper production officially began there in 1809, following earlier uses ranging from grinding corn and producing cloth to milling leather goods, flour, and famously, Bath Oliver biscuits.
Since 1973, the mill has specialized in the cylinder mould process—a painstaking and rare technique that guarantees consistent watermarks and unrivalled paper quality. Today, Bathford Mill stands as the world’s sole maker of dedicated security paper, supplying materials for passports, certificates, and identification documents globally.
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With over three centuries of British expertise, Portals leads the way in sophisticated security features such as registered watermarks, ultraviolet-visible fibers, and chemical sensitization. Their craftsmanship has fortified UK passports, helping establish them among the most secure travel documents worldwide.
During her tour, Ms. Hobhouse learned that the UK paper industry generates more than £15 billion annually and sustains approximately 115,000 jobs across diverse sectors including packaging and hygiene.
Rebecca Lewis, Portals’ Operations Director, highlighted the industry’s environmental stewardship: “Beyond economic impact, paper excels in sustainability. Over 80 percent of paper packaging is recycled, and we continuously reduce carbon emissions through innovative practices. Here at Bathford, our 125 dedicated employees help ensure the industry remains vital to the UK’s circular economy and critical supply chains.”
The visit also underscored growing industry concerns regarding the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations enacted earlier this year. These regulations mandate that packaging producers report packaging data and pay fees to cover recycling-related costs. However, businesses caution that the current fee system inadvertently favors lightweight plastics over more sustainable materials like paper.
Dimitra Rappou, Executive Director of Sustainable Products at the Confederation of Paper Industries, explained, “While we fully support recycling advancements and the circular economy, certain elements of EPR conflict with these objectives. Specifically, the fee structure offers a cost advantage to plastics due to their lighter weight, which risks undermining the scheme’s sustainability goals.”
Ms. Hobhouse emphasized the importance of balancing environmental progress with economic viability: “Paper touches our daily lives and contributes massively to the UK economy. Portals is a world-class employer I’m proud to represent. I welcome efforts to improve recycling and sustainability, but they must be practical and avoid unintended harms to our economy. I will champion policies in Parliament that nurture a circular economy with skilled jobs and help businesses and consumers make sustainable choices, ensuring the system is fit for our future.”
“We are truly on the same page,” she concluded.