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Minister welcomes initiative to boost sustainable aggregates

ENVIRONMENT Minister Elliot Morley MP has praised the publication by WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) of a Quality Protocol which will boost market confidence in the status of construction aggregates processed from inert waste.

Developed by WRAP, the Quarry Products Association and the Highways Agency, with input from the Environment Agency, the Quality Protocol has been issued to address European Court of Justice (ECJ) rulings on the definition of waste. These have impacted on the use of construction aggregates processed from inert waste due to the uncertainty about when the waste could be considered fully recovered and no longer a waste.

‘I am delighted that we now have this Quality Protocol which represents a fine example of a number of stakeholders joining forces to determine a workable solution,’ said Mr Morley. ‘I am hopeful that this approach will become a template for other waste streams.’

 

The decision to produce the document followed a meeting of WRAP’s Aggregates Forum attended by a broad range of stakeholders from the construction supply chain, as well as government and its agencies. The aim is to provide a uniform control process for producers of recycled and secondary aggregates from which they can reasonably state and demonstrate that their product has been fully recovered and is no longer a waste.

In addition to setting out a framework for aggregates producers, the Protocol will provide purchasers with a quality-managed product that complies with common aggregates standards, thereby increasing confidence in its performance. It will also give a clear audit trail for those responsible for ensuring compliance with waste-management legislation and will be taken into account by Environment Agency officers when they are required to take a view.

Commenting on the significance of the Protocol, Sir John Harman, chairman of the Environment Agency, said: ‘It is vital that we turn around the perception in industry that waste and waste law is ‘too difficult’ to deal with. The Protocol is an important recognition of the market opportunities that can be had from sustainable waste management. The Protocol also demonstrates the Environment Agency’s approach to waste regulation – one that is consistent and proportionate to the risks presented to people and the environment.’

‘The new Quality Protocol will promote greater confidence in the performance of sustainable aggregates by providing clarity as to when inert waste that has been through a recovery process can be considered to be fully recovered,’ added WRAP’s chief executive Jennie Price.

‘The recent ECJ rulings have resulted in more materials being classified as waste and remaining waste for longer – presenting a challenge for WRAP in its work to promote sustainable aggregates. The Protocol will go a long way towards addressing this barrier to better resource efficiency,’ she said.

 

 

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