The Environment Agency had given vehicle shredders until November 1 to develop the criteria to satisfy the July 2004 ban on sending hazardous wastes to non-designated landfill sites. The deadline has now been extended to November 30.
Back in July, shredders had stopped work because it was not clear whether shredder residues were classified officially as hazardous or non-hazardous.
Under the ELV regulations, a vehicle that had been de-polluted was termed non-hazardous. But, despite the de-pollution process removing oils and fluids, landfill operators warned that the residues had traces of hazardous materials that would contravene the Landfill Directive ban on hazardous waste co-disposal.
The Environment Agency has been working with the shredders to develop tests for residues. But early indications have suggested some doubts as to the non-hazardous nature of the residues.
Final stage
The Agency has said extending the deadline “will allow the Agency and the recycling sector to complete the final stage of the work and share it with the vehicle dismantling and waste disposal industries”.
Up until the November 30 deadline, the Agency has said that shredder residues will be viewed as non-hazardous as long as ELVs have had lead acid batteries, mercury-containing components, oils and oil filters as well as fuels removed.
After this date, all vehicles will have to b
e fully de-polluted to the government-set standards set out in the ELV Regulations 2003, the Agency said.
Landfill operators have been told they can rely on transfer notes from shredders as sufficient evidence of the non-hazardous nature of the waste. If the shredder residues are not shown to be non-hazardous, they would have to be sent to a hazardous-only landfill site or authorised incinerator.
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