Industry Leader Says Government Needs to Improve EU Waste Compliance
12 September 2012 - According to the Chief Executive of the Resource Association, Ray Georgeson, the Government is currently a ‘long way’ from being compliant to the EU Waste Framework Directive.
Speaking at the RWM exhibition yesterday, he raised questions about the Government’s work on recyclate quality and the need to improve on it, since this quality issue is a major theme within the Directive.
The topic has been further raised by an on-going Judicial Review, in which a group of reprocessors are arguing that the Waste Regulations for England and Wales do not adequately reflect the requirements laid out in Waste Framework Directive for member states when it comes to introducing separate collections of paper, glass, metals and plastics for recycling by 2015.
Since some councils are collecting commingled recyclables, which are sorted at materials recycling facilities (MRFs), Mr Georgeson said it is crucial to regulate these facilities correctly.
He commented: “For us, the Government has critically got to demonstrate through its work with the Quality Action Plan and the MRF Code of Practice and other regulations that what comes out of that system needs careful supporting involvement if it is to be compliant under the Waste Framework Directive. At the moment I think they are a long way from that.”