Dive summary:

• WasteDataFlow, a system for municipal waste data reporting, speculates that a new requirement for U.K. and Wales material recycling facilities (MRF) could hinder recycling abilities.
• The MRF code of practice was launched earlier this year along the Quality Action Plan in the UE and would require MRFs over a certain size to measure the quality of their inputs and outputs and make that information available to their suppliers.
• The regulations set no minimum quality standards and while WasteDataFlow recognizes that the new law may hurt recyclers in the long term, the overall goal is to improve recycling while providing a more accurate report on rates.

From the article:

At a recent WasteDataFlow user group meeting on February 14 2013, members stated: “The purpose of the MRF regulations and the Quality Action Plan is to promote high quality recycling as required by the Waste Framework Directive. Neither of them establish a standard/s for the quality of dry recyclates which has to be met to be counted as ‘recycling’. Reject rates should already be reported within WDF and these are deducted from recycling rates.

“The MRF regulation will enable LAs to obtain more accurate and robust data on reject rates for reporting within WDF. It is true that recycling rates may drop as a result of more accurate reporting on reject rates; this should act to encourage LAs / MRFs to take action to improve quality.” ...