Why Quality Matters

Linda CrichtonHead of Collections & Quality

What do we mean by quality? Quality of materials

– consistently delivering materials to the market place that are effectively separated to meet customer requirements and comply with legal obligations under European directives or with specific regulations in the Nations

Quality of service – consistently delivering a good service that takes

account of the needs of residents (and businesses) and where they live

Importance of quality - regulations Article 11 of the rWFD

Member States shall take measures to promote high quality recycling and, to this end, shall set up separate collections of waste where technically, environmentally and economically practicable and appropriate to meet the necessary quality standards for the relevant recycling sectors.

SG Policy Statement – Zero Waste Regulations“We intend to stipulate in the regulations that co-mingling of dry recyclables will only be permitted where the hierarchy is not undermined…and the outputs from the MRF are of comparable quality to that collected separately at the kerbside.”

Importance of quality - exports

China single largest destination for UK exports of recovered plastics and paper.

UK materials account for 11% of the Chinese imports of recovered paper and 9% for recovered plastics.

Quality also .. …allows the best environmental option to be

realised– reuse, closed loop recycling, recovery of energy

-2000 -1500 -1000 -500 0 500 1000 1500

Landfill

EfW

Recycling China

Recycling UK

kg CO2 eq

Plastic bottle recycling & kg CO2e

Quality is a ‘supply chain’ issue

Role of householders Design & delivery of collection system Capacity & management of MRFs/

treatment plants Reprocessors / end markets

All in the chain need to take responsibility

Service Commitments Customer experience is

central to the design and delivery of services

Local accountability Opportunity to improve

communication with service users and increase satisfaction

New Business Recycling & Waste Services Commitment

MRFs

MRF Code of Practice Promote quality in the way recyclable materials are

sorted through an industry-led Code of Practice Part of Responsibility Deal between Defra & Waste

and Resource Management Sector Measurement protocols for input and output

quality Transparency of results Options for implementing the CoP being

considered including making it mandatory

MRF Quality thresholds MRF material testing – establishing baseline for

Scotland of contamination/non target material levels

Undertaking quality thresholds scoping study for SG; WG also participating – SG to include provisions in the ZW Regs to enable Scottish

Ministers to issue quality standards for recycling Looking into the effects of compaction during

collect on MRF ability to sort Convened an industry group looking at plastic bale

quality

Plastic Packaging

Quality ProtocolsDefine ‘end of waste’

criteria No longer regulated as waste Reduces cost of producing

recycled materials Expands market for recycled

materials Materials deregulated to

date Compost, Digestate,

Aggregates Flat Glass, Non-Packaging

Plastics Tyre derived Rubber Used Cooking Oil

Specifications (PAS) Confidence in a product for the right use Clarity for regulators and regulated Waste status can be a barrier Specifiers: guarantee that process & outputs

conform to a baseline quality level E.g. PAS100 (composted materials) and PAS110

(AD outputs)

In summary…There are risks to the supply chain if quality not delivered… Political – high profile service Motivational - householders loose confidence Operational – reduced efficiency/ increased cost Environmental – best outcomes not delivered End Markets - product quality reducedThere are different approaches to ensuring quality is delivered

Thank you

Email: linda.crichton@wrap.org.uk

Further info on: MRFs: www.wrap.org.uk/mrfs Quality compost & digestate:

www.wrap.org.uk

How well do MRFs perform? In the top 25% of UK MRFs

– 6% of their input is non-recyclable material– 28% of their residue stream could have been recovered

In the bottom 25% of UK MRFs – 17% of their input is non-recyclable material– 80% of their residue stream could have been recovered

Contamination in recovered paper (News and PAMS)– 75% of UK MRFs produce paper with >4.6%

contamination– UK newsprint mills expect <2% contamination

Average amount disposed of by UK MRFs is about 13% of input