19 April 2023

Martin Cooper SITA UK

DEFRA Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) Code of Practice

Outline

> CoP background

> Scope

> What we have to do

> Role of the Regulator

> Impact

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What’s the aim of the Code of Practice?

> To increase the quality and quantity on material recycled.

> A mandatory legislative scheme for the industry.

> To meet the required provisions in the Waste Framework Directive.

> To support the need to ensure products are fit for reprocessors in the UK and the export markets.

> To provide robust and consistent data on input and output materials.

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MRF Code of Practice history2010 / 2011

> Environment Agency (EA) needed to create a scheme to promote the quality of recycling generated by UK materials recycling facilities.

> The EA approached the (Environmental Service Association) ESA for assistance with this, to see if the ESA’s Recycling Registration Service (RRS) scheme would be adaptable to speed up this process.

> A steering group, comprised of the EA, DEFRA, ESA, WRAP and non-ESA member materials recycling facility operators, was established to work on this.

> Via the steering group, there was a desire for DEFRA to make the materials recycling facility Code of Practice mandatory

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MRF Code of Practice history

2012

> DEFRA confirmed that they intended to make the Materials Recycling Facility Code of Practice mandatory by legislation.

> Initial material sampling sizes and frequencies are proposed by DEFRA .

2013

> Draft materials recycling facility Code of Practice regulations are presented by Lord de Mauley in February.

> Finer details continue to be discussed at Government level in preparation for the Code to come into power in Q2 2014.

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Interested parties

> MRF operators

> Reprocessors

> LGA’s

> Environmental Association

> ESA

> WRAP

> Exporters

> The Resource Association

> The Recycling Association

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RESOURCE ASSOCIATION

Environment Agency

VEOLIA

ESA

Biffa

Paper Enterprises (UK) Limited

the Recycling

association

WRAP

Local Government Association

ScopeFacilities in scope under the regulations

> Materials recycling facilities (MRFs) sorting 1,000 tonnes per year or more of household dry recyclables.

> Commercial waste sorting operations and transfer stations where materials similar to household wastes are sorted into two or more Specified Output Materials.

> MRF operators are required to self-access whether there facility is in scope and notify the regulator.

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ScopeFacilities NOT in scope under the Regulations> Waste transfer stations acting only as bulking points.

> Waste transfer stations that sort commercial and industrial (C&I) wastes (unless the commercial or industrial waste meets the definition of Mixed Material Waste).

> Household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) / civic amenity sites.

> Commercial and industrial MRFs (C&I MRFs) - although commercial material similar to household material is in scope, industrial is not.

> MRFs sorting only residual waste (‘dirty’ MRFs).

> WEEE management facilities.

> Mechanical biological treatment (MBT) plants including those used at autoclave facilities.

> Refuse derived fuel (RDF) production facilities.

> MRF’s separating materials from C&D waste.

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Note: Should any of the facilities in this category accept mixed material waste for sorting - even for a limited period - above the threshold levels, then they would fall within the scope of the Regulations.

What is mixed waste?

> Most recycling businesses will describe this as dry mixed recycling (DMR).

> It’s material that originates from households or other sources, but is similar to household mixed waste in composition.

> It consists in the largest proportion of two or more of the following kinds of target material mixed together:

– Glass

– Metal

– Paper

– Plastic

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Target, non-target recyclable and non- recyclable

Target Material

A material that is identified by the operator of the Materials Facility as destined to be separated out from DMR in order to produce bulk quantities of that indentified material.

Non-Target Recyclable Material

Material that is capable of being recycled but is not Target Material.

Non-Recyclable Material

Material that cannot be recycled, this includes material that may be seen as potentially recyclable but should not be included in Dry Mixed Recyclables (food, nappies, WEEE etc.).

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Product quality and non-target composition sampling

Mixed waste composition testing

Code of Practice sampling and composition

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Material quality and composition testing measuring

Sample weights and frequency Input material

> Average weight 60kg or more per sample.

> Minimum sample weight 55kg.

> Sample to be tested should be taken in one go.

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MaterialSampling frequency until 01 October 2016

Sampling frequency from 01 October 2016

Sample size

Input MaterialEvery 160 tonnes received (by supplier)

Every 125 tonnes received (by supplier)

60kg

Sample weights and frequency

Output material

> These sample sizes are the minimum.

> Sample to be tested should be taken in one go.

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MaterialSampling frequency until 01 October 2016

Sampling frequency from 01 October 2016

Sample size

Paper Every 80 tonnes produced Every 60 tonnes produced 50kg

Glass Every 50 tonnes produced Every 50 tonnes produced 10kg

Metals Every 20 tonnes produced Every 20 tonnes produced 10kg

Plastic Every 20 tonnes produced Every 10 tonnes produced 20kg

Testing requirements

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Supplier A delivery

Supplier B delivery

Supplier C delivery

Supplier D delivery

Supplier E delivery

Input sampling (60kg/160t)

Input sampling (60kg/160t)

Input sampling (60kg/160t)

Input sampling (60kg/160t)

Input sampling (60kg/160t)

MF

News & Pam's

Card

Glass

Steel

Aluminium

Output sampling (50kg/80t)

Output sampling (50kg/80t)

Output sampling (10kg/50t)

Output sampling (10kg/20t)

Output sampling (10kg/20t)

Mixed plasticOutput sampling

(20kg/20t)

Code of Practice reporting

> Total weight and sampling results of all suppliers and products created.

> Facilities will need to notify the regulator if they will be receiving 1,000 tonnes or more of dry mixed recycling during the relevant year.

> Standard deviation of the average percentage composition for target materials.

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Reporting> When

> Reports will need submitting to the regulator every three monthsWhat

> Feedstock

– The total weight of feedstock received at the materials recycling facility from each named supplier.

– The total number of samples taken.

– The total weight of all the samples.

– The average percentage composition of glass, metal, paper and plastic.

– The standard deviation of the average percentage composition levels for the target materials.

> Products

– The total weight of the products produced by the materials recycling facility.

– The total number of samples taken.

– The total weight of all samples.

– The average percentage composition levels of all the samples by reference to the grades of glass, metal, paper and plastic identified within those samples.

– The average percentage composition levels of target, non-target and non-recyclable materials.

– The standard deviation of the average percentage composition levels for the target materials.

Regulator inspections

> Facilities will be inspected by the Environment Agency at least twice per year.

> Reports are to be submitted every three months.

> One inspection per year will be unannounced.

> Underperforming MF’s to receive extra visits.

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Enforcement

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Enforcement notices

Licence suspension

Fines or imprisonment

Stage one Stage two Stage three

Who is affected and how?

> Permitted materials recycling facility operators that process over 1,000 tonnes of mixed dry recyclates annually.

They will be audited by the EA against these new permit requirements.

> Local Government Authorities that collect commingled mixed dry recyclates that are processed by a materials recycling facility operator.

Material LA’s supply to these material recycling facilities will be tested and reported back to the regulator for public record.

> Reprocessors that receive products created from materials recycling facility operators.

They will have the confidence that products created from these materials recycling facilities will have been tested to recognised reprocessors and industry specifications the results of which will be published by the regulator.

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How it will impact LA’s?

> Material from commingled collections will be tested on a regular basis and reported back to the regulators.

> A league tables?

> Perception of the material collected.

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What SITA UK will be doing?

1. Sampling and testing regimes at all licensed facilities in the UK.

2. Infrastructure and manpower to carry out the sampling and testing regime.

3. Visual management at all sites.

4. Processes to ensure feedstock material and product are tested to the prescribed frequencies and weights.

5. Reporting procedures that will comply with the regulators expectations.

6. Standardised processes to use across the business.

7. Material training for all drivers and loaders.

8. Liaising closely with Local Authorities and customers to ensure dry mixed recyclate is fit for purpose.

9. Reports for customers on how they are performing.

10. Training for collection drivers and loaders to follow to ensure dry mixed recycling is fit for collection.

11. Visual prompts for drivers, loaders and general public to encourage correct material is in the containers

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Cost and benefit

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Annual costs

> Annual monitoring charge from the EA - £2,240

Estimated annual sampling costs

> Small MRF - £2 per tonne (20k tonnes/yr)

> Medium MRF - £1.30 per tonne (30k tonnes/yr)

> Large MRF - £1 per tonne (50k tonnes/yr)

– These costs are based on the figures in the impact assessment created by DEFRA published on 25/10/2012.

– Cost per tonne including initial outlay for equipment.

– All costs depend on the size of the facility processing material, guidance can be found in DEFRA’s impact assessment document.

Cost and benefit

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Benefits

1. To provide the market with the information and transparency necessary to improve recyclates.

2. Focus on creating quality products for reprocessors.

3. Improve the quality of input materials.

4. Increased revenue for products by creating the required specification for the reprocessors and thereby reducing the likelihood of them seeking recompense due to poor quality.

5. Generating a culture of good practice in the industry.

6. Higher demand for UK MRF products from all reprocessors.

7. Less risk during market collapses due to high quality generating high demand.

Suppliers should

> Ensure quality of the feedstock received at the front end of our materials recycling facility process is as specified.

> Understand the material you supply by spending time with the collection vehicles and at the materials recycling facility.

> Work with the facility to help you understand what can and cannot be put in the recycling containers/sacks.

> Facility visits to understand the impact the Code of Practice will have.

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What will the code deliver?

> Better information.

> Confidence that material is recycled.

> Confidence around exported material.

> A framework within which to produce services and materials.

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IT’S ALL ABOUT QUALITY.

Useful links

> DEFRA How to report on mixed waste sampling https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/materials-facilities-how-to-report-on-mixed-waste-sampling

> WFD http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:312:0003:0030:EN:PDF

> Draft MRF Code of Practice (consultation document) https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/221106/mrf-env-permit-consult-doc-20130201.pdf

> Quality Action Plan https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/221028/pb13875-qap-recycling.pdf

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