Its chief executive, Dr Liz Goodwin, has described quality as the “lynchpin on which economic viability of recycling turns”, as she launched a project to improve operating techniques in materials recycling facilities.
“Driving force”
The government-funded recycling development organisation is commissioning a new research project to review the technologies and processes used in materials recycling facilities (MRFs).
It comes as a growing number of councils are using MRFs to sort recyclable household materials collected in commingled form at the kerbside, as they seek to make recycling easier for residents.
Dr Goodwin said: “Increasing pressure is being placed on the UK's existing recycling infrastructure. The new Waste Strategy has just set even higher waste reduction and recovery rate targets and there needs to be a step change in the separation and recovery process if the UK is going to meet these challenges.
“It is important that we work in partnership with others at every stage of the recycling process to help the industry meet the anticipated demand for higher quality materials in an economically viable way. Quality is the lynchpin on which the economic viability of recycling turns,” she said.
The MRF project follows on from WRAP's research report Recovering Value from MRFs, published in January (see letsrecycle.com story).
Research
Banbury-based WRAP is commissioning research to come up with new ways to analyse materials being received by MRFs, as well as to test sorted materials despatched by MRFs. It also wants a better understanding of MRF operating techniques, and to identify international best practice in sorting commingled materials.
WRAP's new MRF project will also look specifically at the sorting of paper and glass within sorting plants, seeking ways to maximise recovery of high-quality materials.
The project should also develop some guidance for local authorities and MRF operators on how to manage shared risks and shared rewards through contracting.
WRAP project manager Gerrard Fisher said: “MRFs are one of the ways in which the UK recovers materials from its waste stream, and this sector is growing. We want to better understand existing practices and then identify cost effective technologies and techniques so that we can build up a knowledge base that the industry can use for making sound commercial and investment decisions.
“We want to equip the industry with the knowledge it requires to make the right choices about types of collection systems, measurement and management techniques and appropriate automation so that UK MRFs can meet future domestic and international market requirements for higher-quality recovered materials,” Mr Fisher added.
WRAP is now seeking small, medium or large MRF operations to participate in the project trials. For further information, contact gerrard.fisher@wrap.org.uk.
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