Amendments to Part 2 Schedule 9 of the Environmental Permitting Regulations (England and Wales) 2016 (the Material Facilities regulations) will enter into force in October 2024
This will mean that:
- more Material Facilities (MFs) will fall under the regulations than previously – this will include MFs that:
- receive and manage at least 1,000 tonnes of household waste (or household type waste) a year, including single waste streams or waste already separated at collection.
- consolidate or ‘bulk’ waste (e.g., bulking or transfer stations) from multiple suppliers.
- sort waste into specified output materials, such as aluminium cans or cardboard.
- single waste streams will be measured and reported for the first time.
- frequency of sampling will increase to 60kg (sample weight) for every 75 tonnes of incoming material.
- MFs will need to measure and report on 10 types of incoming waste material instead of 4 and say where the waste material is from.
- packaging and deposit return scheme (DRS) material proportions will need to be sampled and reported.
- all the data collected (not just averages) must be reported to the regulator.
The amended regulations will not apply to MFs if any of the following apply:
- they only deal with waste electrical goods.
- they only receive and consolidate waste from one supplier (for example, one local authority’s waste)
- they are facilities provided by councils for the recycling and disposal of household waste (for example, household waste recycling centres)
Measurement and recording required from October 2024:
During every 3-month reporting period. MFs must measure and record:
- weight of total waste material received from each supplier (input material)
- name and address of the supplier of each load
- date each supplier’s load was received.
- weight of material leaving the site (output material), the date it leaves and its destination.
- sampling measurements for input materials and, if necessary, output materials
Input materials – increased to 10
These are:
- Glass
- aluminium,
- steel
- paper,
- card,
- plastic bottles
- PTTs
- film or other flexible plastic
- other plastic
- fibre based composite material.
Packaging and deposit return scheme (DRS) materials (New)
In the input and output sampling you must measure and record both:
- the proportion that is packaging
- the proportion that is DRS packaging
Glass Packaging and DRS
There is no requirement to routinely measure and record glass packaging…however, regulators can request input and output sampling of glass packaging. If this request is made to the MFs by the regulators, they must:
- give MFs at least 4 weeks’ notice before the start of the reporting period in which measurements will be taken.
- specify the minimum number of samples for each supplier.
In this instance MFs will need to keep records of their methodologies when taking and measuring samples. This is to make sure that samples accurately reflect the composition of the overall waste material.
Output sampling
MFs will need to record the grade of the specified output material, with reference to the following materials:
- Glass
- paper
- card
- aluminium
- steel
- plastic
- fibre-based composite.
Grading is a description based on the specification of the material. For example, grades of glass may be based on colour, such as clear ‘flint’ glass. Grades of plastic may be based on polymers, such as coloured high density polyethylene bottles.
After grading the material, MFs will need to take a sample, then measure and record:
- total number of all samples taken in a reporting period.
- total weight in kg of all samples taken in a reporting period.
- date sample was taken.
- whether the material is target, non-target or non-recyclable.
- proportions of packaging and DRS material.
- details of sampling methodology used, to show how MFs ensure samples accurately reflect the composition of the total waste material.
Frequency and size of sampling
The frequency and size of sampling depends on the specified output material. When there are two or more materials in a specified output, the frequency and size of the material that has the lowest figure in the minimum frequency column of the table should be used.
Examples:
- a mixture of plastic and aluminium would need a frequency of every 15 tonnes, and a sample size of 20kg.
- a mixture of steel and glass would need a frequency of every 20 tonnes, and a sample size of 10kg.
| Specified Output Material | Minimum Frequency | Weight of Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Glass | Every 50 tonnes | 10kg |
| Paper & Card | Every 60 tonnes | 50kg |
| Metal (aluminium, steel or both) | Every 20 tonnes | 10kg |
| Plastic | Every 15 tonnes | 20kg |
| Fibre-based composites | Every 60 tonnnes | 50kg |
Reporting
The reporting requirement are:
- report all the measurements and records taken during the 3-month reporting period.
- report at the end of each reporting period in an electronic format provided by the regulator.
- submit reports within one month of the end of the reporting period.
- keep records for 7 years of measurements taken and reports produced and present them if required by the regulatory authority.
More information is available at the Guidance Website
