Industry must get to Grips with Reporting Responsibilities at Materials Facilities

28 September 2015

The 2nd Materials Facilities (MFs) quarterly report - covering Jan to March 2015 - was published by WRAP last week. This is important information giving transparency over what materials are delivered to MFs and their performance in sorting and decontaminating them. The obligation to sample, analyse and report was brought in almost a year ago through hard-won regulations in a strongly de-regulatory political environment.

In line with the first report, input to MFs included about 13% contaminants or unsuitable materials. The data was submitted by 85 sites compared to the 87 who confirmed they would be reporting, and the 90 sites who reported in the first quarter. The differences between these numbers is not particularly important: circumstances change; thresholds are or are not exceeded. However, CIWM understands that the Environment Agency expected around 200 sites to notify and report. That difference - up to 100+ sites in England who should be reporting but haven't - is important, and needs to be put right. It's not just the performance of this industry that's under inspection - there is credibility at stake.

CIWM understands that the Environment Agency will write this week to the sites which haven't notified or reported but maybe should have done. We need to know why not. Some will turn out to be below the 1,000 Te / yr threshold. Others may have special circumstances. Whatever the justification, we are about to end the 4th quarter of operating under these regulations. Hopefully the industry is still establishing its procedures and this will show in a quick improvement in the number and proportion of complying sites in the next quarterly report. If responses to the EA show that more information or training is needed, we will need to react to that quickly as we can't expect a softly-softly introduction to these regulations to continue un-checked. Enforcement action will have to follow to support the compliant parts of the industry. In the meanwhile CIWM will work with the regulators to help this industry get to grips with this responsibility.

Managing wastes as resources involves a "value chain" across the industry. This information is one important part of showing how that chain works and we need to re-double our efforts to monitor and report MF inputs and outputs as required.

The Regulations are enforced in Wales by Natural Resources Wales. Welsh statistics are included in the WRAP report but with a much lower total number of sites than for England. CIWM will check with NRW to see if the situation is proportionally any different in Wales. Meanwhile in Scotland SEPA is contacting their likely obligated facilities in advance of the start of their - similar - reporting regime to help it get started more smoothly.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) is the leading professional body for the waste management sector representing over 6000 individuals in the UK and overseas. Established in 1898, CIWM is a non profit-making organisation, dedicated to the promotion of professional competence amongst waste managers. CIWM seeks to raise standards for those working in and with the sector by producing best practice guidance, developing educational and training initiatives, and providing information on key waste-related issues. Comprehensive information about CIWM can be found at www.ciwm.co.uk

Press contact:
Pat Jennings
Head of Policy & Communications
Tel: 01604 620426
Mob: 07912 228260

E-mail: pat.jennings@ciwm.co.uk