European Metal Recycling Groups Welcome Talks on Scrap Markets

The European recycling groups, EFR, an organization of ferrous scrap collectors, and EUROMETREC, a group of nonferrous recyclers, are welcoming the decision by the European Union to address the export of scrap metal. The two organizations responded to the EU’s Communication on Tackling the Challenges in Commodity Markets and on Raw Materials.

In applauding the report, the two organizations say the identification of the 14 critical materials for the European Union industry was a vital task that also points out low recycling rates for many of those materials.

Francis Veys, executive director of EUROMETREC, observes, “Recyclers have always recycled what is profitable. Within the last two decades, legislation and funds have expanded recycling of materials. It is important that a robust economic and technological study is conducted into the potential for recycling of each of the critical metals, especially those that are used in very small quantities, for example in consumer goods in the EU, that are scrapped at their end-of-life.”

EFR and EUROMETREC welcome the recognition in the communication that “The need for legal clarity for defining when reprocessed waste can be classified as a product” is a major policy issue for resource efficiency and for improving conditions for recycling.

EFR and EUROMETREC say they support the full implementation and enforcement of European laws on the shipment of waste so that illegal shipments are at least minimized if not prevented. The two groups state that all the permitted or registered scrap companies legally carrying out their business do not want illegal activities undercutting their market and support that member states properly enforce the laws.

However, as EU taxpayers, recyclers point out that the measurement of both illegality and of enforcement success must be accurate to ensure proportionate application of national resources. Seeking innovative solutions should be widely supported, like EU-wide paperless electronic systems for waste shipments could prove both to reduce the administrative burden and costs on companies and to facilitate the identification of illegal shipments.

Ross Bartley, EFR environmental and technical officer, commends the EC’s intent to examine the feasibility of applying a global certification scheme for recycling facilities, building on environmentally sound management criteria, and reminds Ministers of their recommendation at the OECD in 2004 and the agreements on similar environmentally sound management criteria of the UN-EP Basel Convention.

Overall, the communication’s initiatives forecast the EU-27 based recycling industries will expand under the sustainable and inclusive growth of the Europe 2020 Strategy.