Waste management - sampling and reporting at materials facilities: draft code of practice

5. Output sampling and reporting obligations

This section applies to any authorised MF operator handling 1,000 tonnes or more of dry recyclable waste per annum and sorting dry recyclable waste into specified output material.

5.1. General

26. An authorised MF operator with output sampling obligations must take samples of the output material separated at that facility in a reporting period, and measure the composition of those samples, by identifying the materials comprising that sample, by reference to:

a) The type and weight in kilograms of target material, non-target material and non-recyclable material that is contained in the sample, and

b) The types and weight in kilograms of packaging that is contained in each type of target material, non-target material and non-recyclable material that is identified in that sample, including by reference to drink containers including the lid or other seal of the container as a type of packaging.

27. Sampling must be carried out in accordance with subsection 5.2.

28. An authorised MF operator with output sampling obligations must measure the total weight in tonnes of target, non-target and non-recyclable material that leaves the facility in each reporting period.

5.2. Requirements for sampling

29. For each material, one sample of the minimum weight specified in Table 3 must be carried out, once per the amount of tonnes specified in the same row of Table 3. Where a sample contains multiple materials, the applicable minimum frequency is to be determined by the material in the sample which has the lowest number in the second column of Table 3, and the minimum weight of the sample is to be the minimum weight of sample associated with that material.

*For paper and cardboard, the total sample may be obtained in smaller parts of not less than 20 kg, collected contemporaneously.

30. The output material specified in paragraph 29 must, at a minimum, be identified by reference to the grade of material making up each batch of output material, set out in Table 4.

31. For all output material, listed in Table 4 or otherwise, the authorised MF operator must define which fractions are target material, non-target material and non-recyclable material based on the purchase specification they have agreed with a reprocessor, or company acting on their behalf. Purchase specifications should be kept on record to support decisions made on the categorisation of the different material fractions. The grade of each material should also be recorded within the relevant forms used for sampling and testing materials.

5.3. Recording and reporting requirements

32. In each reporting period, the authorised MF operator must record the information in Table 5 and report it to SEPA.