Commission hints at rethink over waste definitions

After years spent attempting to overturn scrap metal's definition as a “waste”, the European Federation for Ferrous Steel Scrap Recovery and Recycling (EFR) has told members of the Bureau of International Recycling it has finally made a breakthrough.

” The EU Commission seems to be more sympathetic to our approach to combine our EU scrap specifications with environmental criteria.“
– Christian Rubach, EFR
Speaking at the BIR's World Recycling Convention in Barcelona this week, EFR president Christian Rubach informed ferrous metal recyclers that the European Commission is considering a revision of the Waste Framework Directive.

Mr Rubach said “frequent” meetings with the Commission's head of sustainable development and raw materials, Marianne Klingbeil, “seem to have been successful”.

He said: “The EU Commission seems to be more sympathetic to our approach to combine our EU scrap specifications with environmental criteria and to take this as our basis to distinguish waste from non-waste.”

Under European Union law, materials classified as “wastes” have much more stringent environmental controls applied to them than non-wastes. They may be little different from non-waste raw materials in composition, but once they fall under the category “waste”, must undergo the extra red tape.

Clarify

Following a stakeholder meeting with the Commission on March 11, the EFR asked for an additional meeting with Ms Klingbeil on the subject of waste definitions. During this meeting on April 6, the EFR were informed that the Commission did intend to clarify when “waste ceases to be waste” for a limited number of waste streams.

Mr Rubach informed the BIR audience this week that “the Commission stated explicitly to start this exercise with steel scrap”.

As part of the EU’s consideration of the issue, the EFR were asked to provide additional information to the Commission.

Facts and figures as well as cost assessments of the financial and economic impacts of the “waste stigma” on the scrap trade are to be collected and a special EFR meeting held to provide the Commission and Member States with this information. This meeting will take place on June 8 in Brussels.