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EU aims to boost recycling markets with new scrap rules
EU officials have agreed on criteria for deciding when scrap iron, steel and aluminium ceases to be waste and can be considered a product, in order to stimulate recycling markets in the EU.
These are the first end-of-waste criteria to be agreed under the Waste Framework Directive.
The European Commission said the aim of the new end-of-waste rules are to create legal certainty and a level playing field for the recycling industry, remove unnecessary administrative burdens for the recycling sector by releasing safe and clean secondary raw materials from the scope of waste legislation, and contribute to the raw materials supply of European industries.
The new rules mean that “clean and safe metal scrap does not have to be classified as waste provided producers apply a quality management system and demonstrate compliance with the criteria by a statement of conformity for each metal scrap consignment”.
Any kind of treatment, like cutting, shredding, cleaning and de-pollution needed to prepare the scrap for the final use in steel or aluminium works or foundaries has to be completed before the metal scrap can be released from waste status.
The EC said, in the past, the lack of clear and harmonised criteria resulted in a situation where some Member States developed different and not always compatible frameworks for regulation recovered materials.
EU Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik said: “We must start treating waste as a valuable resource, and the adoption today of these end-of-waste criteria for materials streams will really boost our recycling industry and services. It marks another important step towards Europe’s goal of becoming a resource-efficient economy and a recycling society.”
The EC is also currently preparing criteria for other material streams which “are particularly important” for EU recycling markets, such as copper, paper, glass and compost.
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