A Code of Practice for MRFs is to be developed that will include the development of quality protocols on input and output quality, as part of a responsibility deal between the waste industry and Government.
The Environmental Services Association will develop the Code of Practice and will work with the Government to promote take up of these protocol standards across the sector.
As a minimum, Defra will actively encourage local authorities to contract as norm with operators who adhere to and observe the standards embedded in the Code of Practice.
The Environment Agency will use adherence to the quality standards in the Code of Practice in its risk profiling, so that is lightens the regulatory load on compliant sites, and focuses the enforcement effort onto any that do not meet the standards.
WRAP will provide access, on-demand, to tailored technical help to support the adoption of a Code of Practice, particularly among smaller operators, and support innovation that can be replicated across the sector.
In the responsibility deal document it says: “Ensuring the high quality of recyclates from MRFs is vital in demonstrating that commingled collection is a valid form of separate collection under the revised Waste Framework Directive.
“It is also critical for future-proofing the UK’s recycling system by ensuring that its recyclable waste materials continue to be in demand in domestic and overseas markets.”
