British Metals Recycling Group Heralds EC’s “Waste” Decision

The British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA) has welcomed the European Commission’s decision to reclassify recycled ferrous and aluminum as materials instead of waste.

In a release, the BMRA says that the result of the decision means that ferrous and aluminum scrap that will be recycled into a new product will be recognized in law as a valuable secondary raw material where previously it has been classed as a waste.

“This is a landmark decision for the U.K. metals recycling industry and rewards 20 years of hard work by industry leaders with support from U.K. government,” says Ian Hetherington, BMRA’s director general.

“The reclassification of furnace-ready iron, steel and aluminum scrap as a raw material is great news for the industry and lifts some unnecessarily heavy regulatory burdens.”

Hetherington adds, “This puts U.K. and European metals recyclers on a level playing field in a highly competitive global market because ferrous metals and aluminum can be transported globally as a product without falling under rules such as the EU Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations.”

The BMRA has 300 members involved in the ferrous and non-ferrous metals recycling business.