Measuring recycling in the UK

Cindy Lee Waste Data Strategy Manager

Source: EU Waste Statistics Regulation 2010. Excludes mining waste.

Source: EU Waste Statistics Regulation 2010. Excludes mining waste.

UK recycling and recovery targets• European Union Waste Framework Directive

(2008/98/EC)50% recycling household & similar waste by 202070% recovery construction & demolition waste by

2020• Domestic recycling targets – example Scotland

60% household waste by 202070% construction & demolition waste by 202070% of all waste by 2025

How do we measure recycling?

• Household data from WasteDataFlow• Commercial and industrial data for a range of

different sources includingsample surveysmodels regulatory returns from permitted sites

Household waste recycling

• Data reported by 430 UK local authorities in one system

• WasteDataFlow data collection system used since 2006

• Generation and treatment data from same source• Recycling rate calculated with relative ease

www.wastedataflow.org

Source: WasteDataFlow

Commercial and industrial waste recycling

• Currently no single UK system for data collection• Waste handled by

local authoritiesprivate waste management companies reprocessors

• Generation and treatment data from different sources

• Recycling rate is more difficult to determine

Challenges for measuring recycling

• Movement of waste between different countries within the UK

• Exports from the UK• Not all activities that carry out recycling are

required to report• Materials meeting end of waste criteria are not

recorded in regulatory returns• Long management chains

Long management chains, bold

New initiatives that will help improve data quality

• New regulations for separate collection of recyclable materials

• Quality standards for Material Recovery Facilities

• Electronic Duty of Care (edoc)

New regulations across the UK • Requirement for separate collection of

recyclable materialspaper, plastic, glass and metal easier to track and measure

• Code of Practice for Material Recovery Facilitiesmore comprehensive data on material qualityassessment of contamination/rejectspotential to improve quality of data on

recycling

Electronic Duty of Care (edoc)• UK system for replacing paper waste transfer

notes with electronic records• Will provide a more complete and accurate

picture of generation and movement of non-hazardous waste around the UK

• Four year programme co-financed by the European Commission (LIFE+) and UK partners

• To go live in January 2014

www.edoconline.co.uk

Thank you here – 32pt, bold

Cindy Lee

+44 (0)1786 433943

cindy.lee@zerowastescotland.org.uk