The European Union Environment Commissioner announced a few days ago that the first regulation under the EU “End Of Waste” initiative has been adopted.  Under End of Waste, the EU expects member countries to move rapidly to convert waste streams to streams of raw materials for recycling and other activities. The first regulation under this initiative includes iron, steel and aluminum scrap and provides a framework under which these materials will not longer be classified as waste as long as those companiews producing such materials have a quality management system in place and certify each load of material as conforming to the EU criteria.

It is expected that this will greatly increase recycling of these scrap metals within the EU and facilitate the export of such metals to countries outside of the EU. Certainly it will significantly decrease the amount of bureaucracy associated with the recycling of scrap metals by those processors that have put a quality management system in place.

We will provide more information about the “End of Waste” initiative in a future issue of Gallon Environment Letter.

For more information see http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/388&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en