LAWR

March 2015 Local Authority Waste & Recycling 17 energy recovery same progress with RDF and SRF, and concentrating on the word 'fuel' would go some way to gradually removing the stigma. What then? The fuels could be further categorised of course. Admittedly this would be no mean feat given end users of RDF are more concerned with tonnage and gate fees, than a quality standard. However, following the outcome of Defra's call for evidence, my colleague Gary Moore suggested that the answer may lie in a recovery standard. Similar to an ISO accreditation, the standard could be granted only when an alternative fuel production company achieves a number of quality benchmarks regarding their approach to storage, degree of recyclate extraction, on-site health and safety standards, and so on. Of course this would need policing but I don't think this is a bad thing. None of this is intended to weaken regulatory compliance after all. Could this help the market flourish? Keen to obtain another viewpoint I spoke to well-respected waste-to- energy (WtE) professional Linda Ovens, associate director at Amec Foster Wheeler who offered some additional thoughts: "By its very definition, the word waste implies RDF or SRF has no further purpose, which of course is highly untrue. In a true circular economy we wouldn't even need the word 'waste' but there would still be materials that 'leak' from the system at the end of their useful lives that make good fuels, and a need for energy remains an essential element. "In terms of altering perceptions, the declassification of RDF or SRF as waste could however act as a significant industry step change. It would be great if we could start thinking of WtE plants as simply energy plants like they do in Northern Europe and think of the RDF or SRF input as just another fuel type. "Declassification could bring added trade benefits too. In some parts of Asia, for example, certain grades of SRF are considered as products and are traded between countries as simply alternative fuels that have a real value alongside the fossil fuels. "Of course I wouldn't be in favour of declassification if the purpose was to avoid regulation – we see enough unscrupulous activity in this sector as it is. RDF and SRF need regulated processing that the Waste Incineration Directive provides but as Chris has suggested, if there was a way to make these fuels more acceptable and valuable without losing this control, the market could flourish as a result." Chris Oldfield is managing director of UNTHA UK. BOa: The green way of recycling! energy savings? BOa ecOline Impress baler Our impress baler's, M and D Series, can be delivered with steel wire tying and PP twine tying, combined on one machine. Boa Recycling Program We develop and deliver among other: • Balers (Impress®, Continette, Baseline) • Bag openers • Shredders • reel Splitters • conveyors The BOA BAler Type ecOline cAn reduce pOwer cOnsumpTiOn By up TO 60%. BOa recycling equiPMenT BV T +31 (0) 534 300 300 e infO@BOarecycling.nl www.BoaRecyclIng.com We manufacture bespoke Shredders for Shredding... \Clinical Waste \Tyres \Metal \Mobile Shredding \Plastics \Confidential Documents \WEEE \Electronic Media Storage Devices \Textiles \Organic Waste \Fuel Large, coarse, superfine and everything in between at Ulster Shredders. Cogry Works, 65 Creagh Rd, Castledawson Magherafelt. BT45 8EW T. +44 28 7965 0050 F. +44 28 7965 0025 Want to find out more about our range of Industrial Shredders? Email us at info@ulstershredders.com or visit our website. ulstershredders.com

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