End of Waste: Supporting quality & sustainability?

1. End of Waste: Supporting quality & sustainability? Roger Hoare Environment & Business Manager Environment Agency (England & Wales) 24 January 2013

2. What do we mean by ‘End of Waste’? • To achieve end of waste for a waste derived product and remove the need for regulatory control it must be: • a distinct, marketable product; • able to be used in exactly the same way as an ordinary material; and • used with no worse environmental impact than the material it replaces.

3. End of Waste Market advantage Opportunity Difficult Confusing Saves money Commercial sensitivity Increase sales Time consuming Risk to environment Complex Environmental benefits Sustainability

4. Background – Issues and options 2012 2010 2008 2006 1996 Waste Protocols Programme 2006-2011 Pollution incidents from waste products Barriers to recycling such as waste stigma Disputes between regulators and industry – Waste v Product Legal challenges over waste status

5. The Waste Protocols Programme Industry

6. What does a Protocol achieve? Waste Treatment Acceptance: Duty of Care / Hazardous Waste Treatment: Environmental Permit / Exemption / Low Risk Position Movement from Site Duty of Care and Registered Waste Carrier End Use Environmental Permit / Exemption / Low Risk Position

7. End of Waste Quality Protocol What does a Protocol achieve? Waste Treatment Acceptance: Duty of Care / Hazardous Waste Treatment: Environmental Permit / Exemption / Low Risk Position Movement from Site Non-waste End Use Non-waste

8. Quality Protocol Requirements Waste Inputs Standards Records Management End Uses Good practice Certification Scheme

9. Quality Protocols issued so far…

10. 17 million tonnes £987,000,000 2,100,000 tonnes

11. Background – Issues and options 2012 2010 2008 2006 1996 Waste Protocols Programme 2006-2011 Published QPs – massive benefit but inconsistent compliance Revised Waste Framework Directive Pollution incidents from waste products Barriers to recycling such as waste stigma Low customer confidence in recycled materials EQual Disputes between regulators and industry – Waste v Product Increasing no. of end of waste apps from industry to regulators across EU Regulators reviewing end of waste submissions Legal challenges over waste status EU End of Waste Regulations

12. EQual : Ensuring the Quality of waste derived products to support resource efficiency

13. EQual – Partners

14. Our Products QP Checker e-tool Aim – The QP Checker will encourage the correct use of existing Quality Protocols, both through improved industrial compliance and more consistent regulation, helping to increase the quality & quantity of recycled materials.

15. Our Products Definition of Waste web-tool Aim - The Definition of Waste web-tool will support businesses to make their own end of waste decisions, encouraging the sustainable re-use of waste materials. Production process

16. Our Products Research Aim- Support the uptake of waste derived products by providing a more robust assessment of their performance and suitability to replace virgin materials.

17. So what? Has Quality improved through End of Waste? • Big financial benefits for business • Significant environmental benefits • QPs provide clarity to industry • Lack of regulation makes it hard to monitor quality • Certification schemes are our best tool but • significant cost associated with them • UKAS appear to be a barrier to the wider use of • certification schemes

18. Thank You Roger Hoare Environment & Business Manager Environment Agency (England & Wales) 0117 934 4108 roger.hoare@environment-agency.gov.uk equal@environment-agency.gov.uk www.environment-agency.gov.uk/equal