And, the Agency has also confirmed that, in line with its neighbouring authority north of the border, it will be assessing enforcement action against exporters over contamination of recyclable materials going overseas on a ‘case-by-case’ basis.
Traders of recyclable material claim that without a strict contamination limit from the Agency or SEPA in Scotland it is difficult to assess whether a load will be deemed to be compliant with waste shipment regulations, as the decision can hinge on the judgement of an individual inspector.
Last week, SEPA reiterated its stance on contamination in waste for export in a post on its website, in which it underlined its commitment not to stipulate a maximum limit for an acceptable level of contamination in a load (see letsrecycle.com story).
This stance has been endorsed by the Environment Agency, which polices waste shipments sent overseas from ports in England.
When contacted by letsrecycle.com, a spokeswoman for the Agency outlined the regulator’s policy on waste shipments as follows: “EU regulation does not specify a contamination limit. Our approach is the same as SEPA’s, we assess loads based on the quantity and nature of the contamination. For example, contamination of paper or plastic by higher risk wastes such as food waste, waste electrical equipment, clinical waste, waste fines and hazardous waste present a greater environmental risk than contamination consisting of other dry recyclable such as aluminium cans, all waste shipments are assessed on a case by case basis.
“We have provided clear guidance on .GOV.UK on green list. Some of the final guidance on GOV.UK was informed by our discussions with industry representatives.“
Recycling Association
According to the Recycling Association, adoption of the 1.5% contamination limit deemed as an acceptable volume of out-throw in waste paper loads in the EN643 quality specification would be a suitable starting point for assessing contamination in shipments.
The organisation adds that without a uniform approach to regulation by officers across the UK and in the absence of any prescriptive guidance on contamination, it is difficult for exporters to assess whether a load will be considered acceptable if it is inspected at the dockside.
Speaking to letsrecycle.com, Simon Ellin, the Association’s chief executive, said: “We still firmly believe that it is difficult to regulate for out-throw if you don’t have a prescribed limit. China are now limiting loads to around 1.5% out-throw, and EN643 also suggests 1.5% out-throw.”
Dr Ellin added: “If nothing else a code of practice would help, which is something that we have mentioned with the Agencies and something we will try and lead on over the next year because we have got to know where we stand.”
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