MRF Regulations

The MRF Code of Practice (MRF CoP) was published in February 2013 and required all material recovery facilities over a certain size to measure the quality of their inputs and outputs.

Introduction

The MRF Code of Practice (MRF CoP) was published in February 2013 and required all material recovery facilities over a certain size to measure the quality of their inputs and outputs. The MRF CoP introduced a new requirement to make all results from these tests publically available, for example to businesses buying the material as well as to Local Authorities and others who supply material to the MRFs . It did not set any minimum quality standards.

MRF Code

The MRF Code of Practice is enacted through Sch 9 of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 which has now been transposed into the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016. The requirements took effect from 1 Oct 2014 and required that MRFs to whom the regulations applied must:

• sample and test the materials they receive and send out
• record the information
• report every 3 months to the regulator

The MRF Code of Practice applies to any facility (known as 'Qualifying MRFs') that receive over 1,000 tonnes or more of 'Mixed Waste Material' - the definition of which is waste originating from households or waste from other sources if it is similar to household waste in terms of its nature or composition.

Wastes 'similar to household waste' are those typically found in a household waste stream such as plastic bottles (typically ≤5 litres), pots, tubs and trays (PTTs) used for food packaging (typically ≤525cm in their longest dimension), flexible plastic packaging, glass bottles and jars, food tins, steel or aluminium drinks cans, newspapers and magazines and cardboard packaging.

For non-household waste to fall under the definition of Mixed Waste Material the two or more fractions of glass, metal, plastic or paper that make up the largest proportion (≥50%) of the waste should be similar in composition to those wastes described above.

Facilities which are in scope

The facilities that are likely to be within the scope of the regulations are:

• Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) sorting household dry recyclables
• Commercial Waste sorting operations and transfer stations where materials similar to household wastes are sorted into two or more Specified Output Materials (e.g. a MF sorting plastics and cans would be in scope although one sorting a single stream such as paper and card would not).

Facilities which are out of scope

• Waste Transfer Stations acting only as bulking points (with no sorting activities)
• Waste Transfer Stations that sort Commercial and Industrial Waste (C&I) wastes unless the commercial waste meets the definition of Mixed Waste Material. industrial derived material does not fall under the scope of the REgulations.
• Household Waste Recycling Centres
• commercial and Industrial Waste MRFs (C&I) (MRFs) unless the commercial waste meets the definition of Mixed Waste Material.
• MRFs sorting only residual waste ('Dirty' MRFs)
• Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) plants including those used at autoclave facilites unless Mixed Waste Material is accepted for any MRF operations that form part of the process.
• Refuse Derived Fuel production facilities
• WEEE management facilities
• MRFs seperating materials from Construction and Demolition Waste

If any of the aforementioned facilities accept Mixed Waste Material for sorting, even for a limited period, above the thresholds, then the Regulations apply.