The government has agreed to allow the burning of shredder residues from scrap cars to count towards end-of-life vehicle (ELV) recovery targets, in a move hailed by metal recyclers.
The decision by the Environment Agency and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) means that the incineration of plastic, foam, textiles and wood left over at the end of the ELV recycling process will count as a recovery, rather than a disposal process.
In order for the material to be classed as recovery, it must be burned in a facility that matches the efficiency of a municipal waste incinerator.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency today (November 6) confirmed that the Agency had reached an agreement on the classification of incineration of shredder residue following discussions with Defra, and said that the two organisations were pleased with the outcome of the talks.
The British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA) has long argued that in order for the UK to meet the compulsory target to recycle 95% of material from end of life vehicles which is set to come into effect from 2015, this reclassification would be essential.
The organisation has lobbied the government since 2010 to have the classification changed, and has welcomed the decision by the Environment Agency and Defra, which it says could result in more than 800,000 tonnes of material being diverted from landfill.
BMRA
Ian Hetherington, director general of the BMRA, said: This is a long awaited decision which represents the best outlet for the material which until now could only be landfilled. The UK metal recycling industry has been waiting for a positive decision in order for them to determine how best to drive up recycling rates for end-of-life vehicles, while generating growth for the sector and the country.
For more than two years, BMRA and key players in the industry have been calling for government to be decisive in providing a policy framework in which the UK metals recycling industry can take a lead in the advanced recovery of end-of-life consumer goods in Europe. Now with the right policy framework in place, the metals recycling industry will endeavour to retain a lead in developing materials recycling and recovery, whilst creating green jobs and growth in the sector.
Target
To date, the UK has not met the 85% recycling target for ELVs, with the latest available figures showing that it posted a total recycling, recovery and reuse rate of 84.69% in 2009. Shredder residues are seen as too difficult to recycle, and would have previously ended up in landfill.
Dr Chas Ambrose, chairman of the vehicle scrapping trade body Motor Vehicle Dismantlers Association (MVDA), said: We are pleased that this agreement has been reached, it is necessary to meet the targets and had it not been made I think it would have been very difficult for us to meet the 2015 target. This opens up the market for the development of facilities that will enable us to reach the targets.
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