Agency to allow six months storage for recyclables

“Severe” and “unprecendented” was how the Environment Agency today (November 11 2008) described the plummeting values of recyclable materials such as waste paper, plastic bottles and cans. At the same time the Agency said it would make it easier for permitted companies to store material for up to six months and allow businesses to make good use of licensing exemptions.

In a statement, the Agency – which regulates waste in England and Wales – said that “global economic conditions have resulted in a sudden and dramatic fall in demand and price for most recyclable materials.”

The statement continued: “It is important that this slowdown does not affect waste treatment capacity, jeopardise recycling targets or lead to the illegal disposal of waste. The speed and breadth of the downturn in demand and price for some recyclable waste is unprecedented. We cannot be sure how long these trading conditions will last.”

Consequences

And the Agency warned that there there are a number of negative environmental consequences that need guarding against because of the need to store materials. The Agency also claimed that some companies might lower their standards  and that the fall in the price of scrap metal will see more cars abandoned.  And, further comments in the statement concentrated on all the ways the recycling sector might breach regulations with several warnings about exporting unacceptable material.

However, the document did also explain how it will approach the market crisis – the Agency said that it would work with operators and emphasised that it is important to retain collection, treatment and reprocessing capacity in England and Wales. “We do not want the current economic problems to result in a return to landfill and a reversal of the trend for households and businesses to recycle more of their waste,” the Agency statement said. 

Guidance

Where recyclables need to be stored, this should be at locations regulated by the Environment Agency, through a permit or registered exemption, the Agency said. 

In particular, the guidance states:

1. Operators who hold a permit and expect to need additional storage for a short period (up to 6 months) should approach their local Environment Agency Area Office to discuss a temporary increase in storage of recyclable materials at their site. Operators must ensure that their plans do not present a significant increased risk to the environment.
2. If operators expect to need extra storage capacity for longer than 6 months they should apply for a permit variation.
3. Operators may be able to make use of exemptions from the need for an Environmental Permit. The ‘Paragraph 17' exemption1 allows, amongst other things, the storage of paper, cartons, textiles, cans and foil, and plastic in a secure place. Storage can be for up to 12 months but must be for the purposes of recovery. This exemption can be registered free by telephoning or writing to the National Customer Contact Centre.
4. Exemptions come with some restrictions that the operator must comply with. Operators should also check with their planning authority, landlord and insurer that they are allowed to store these materials at their sites.
5. It is the operator's responsibility to ensure that they remain compliant with other requirements such as planning consent and the retention of adequate fire breaks and access, etc.