Waste management: code of practice on sampling and reporting at materials facilities - June 2024

3. Input sampling and destination reporting requirements

This section applies to any authorised MF operator receiving 1,000 tonnes or more of dry recyclable waste in any reporting year and:

• Sorting dry recyclable waste into output material, and/or
• Consolidating or ‘bulking’ dry recyclable waste from two or more suppliers.

3.1. Input sampling requirements: general

16. An authorised MF operator with input sampling requirements must, for each named supplier:

a) Measure the total weight in tonnes of mixed dry recyclable waste received at the facility, during each reporting period, from that supplier;

b) Take samples of the mixed dry recyclable waste received at the facility, during each reporting period, from that supplier;

c) Measure the total weight in tonnes of single stream dry recyclable waste received at the facility, during each reporting period, from that supplier;

d) Take samples of single stream dry recyclable waste received at the facility during each reporting period, from that supplier;

e) Sort samples into target, non-target and non-recyclable materials, and measure weight and the composition of each sample.

17. Sampling must be carried out in accordance with subsection 3.2.

3.2. Requirements for sampling

18. One sample must be taken for every 75 tonnes of dry recyclable waste received at the MF from each supplier in each reporting year. (For the avoidance of doubt, if less than 75 tonnes of dry recyclable waste is received from a given supplier in a single reporting year, there is no requirement to sample the material from that supplier in that reporting year.)

19. Each sample taken must weigh at least 55kg. The average weight per sample must be 60kg or more. A sample may be collected in several parts contemporaneously, provided that no part weighs less than 20kg.

20. The following data must be provided for each sample:

a) The total original weight in kilograms of the sample selected for analysis.

b) The weight in kilograms of (i) target material, (ii) non-target material, and (iii) non-recyclable material that is contained in the sample.

c) The weight in kilograms of (i) target material and (ii) non-target material contained in the sample that is packaging.

d) The weight in kilograms of (i) target material and (ii) non-target material contained in the sample that is drink containers (including any label applied to them and their lid or other closures).

21. The data provided under paragraph 20(b) to (d) must be broken down further for (i) target material and (ii) non-target material, in each case, by (at a minimum) the material types in paragraph 22, except that glass does not need to be identified separately as packaging.

22. The material types for input sampling are:

a) Glass,

b) Paper,

c) Cardboard,

d) Steel,

e) Aluminium,

f) Plastic pots, tubs and trays,

g) Plastic bottles,

h) Plastic film and other flexible plastic,

i) Other plastic not falling within (f), (g), or (h),

j) Fibre-based composite material.

3.3. Transferred or rejected loads

23. An authorised MF operator operating a materials recovery facility is not required to sample loads that are not sorted at that facility and are transferred to another facility for sorting. An authorised MF operator is not required to sample loads that are received at their facility and rejected. However, the following data must be recorded and reported for each load that is transferred or rejected:

• Date of transfer/rejection
• Reason for transfer/rejection
• Weight of material in tonnes
• Each location to which the material is sent
• The identity of each supplier (and, where applicable, each buyer)

3.4. Recording and reporting requirements: input sampling

24. In each reporting period, the authorised MF operator must record the information in Table 2 and report it to SEPA.

3.5. Recording and reporting requirements: next and end destination

25. In each reporting period, the authorised MF operator must record the following information and report it to SEPA for each type of material leaving the facility in that reporting period:

a) The end destination or, where this is not available, the next destination for the materials leaving the facility (including the relevant authorisation/permit/licence numbers, and, where appropriate, export destination details).

b) The use to which the material will be put and/or the treatment to which the material will be subjected at the end destination or, where this is not available, the next destination.

c) The location (country, region, city) to which the materials are to be sent.

d) The date the material left the facility.

26. Next and end destination data reported to SEPA under this subsection will be treated by SEPA as confidential, in keeping with its commercially sensitive nature. This notwithstanding, SEPA may share information reported under this Code with the Scottish Government, Zero Waste Scotland, and the EPR scheme administrator (or any person who is exercising functions on the scheme administrator’s behalf), who will continue to treat the information as commercially confidential. SEPA will comply with any legal requirement to release data, including under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and/or the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.