Recycling and waste management provider, The McGrath Group has today (13 March), released a survey showing that two thirds of construction industry firms are ‘unaware’ that recycled aggregates sold in the UK will need to bear a CE mark from July.

The CE mark (thought to stand for Conformité Européenne) declares that a product conforms with the requirements of the EC directive governing its sale and is therefore ‘fit for sale’. The mark is an indicator that the product in question can be legally sold in the European Economic Area.

CE marking for aggregates to be sold in the UK was previously voluntary, but under new European Commission (EC) Construction Products Regulations, from 1 July 2013 all construction products that have a harmonised standard (hEN) or a European Technical Assessment, must provide a declaration of performance and be affixed with the CE mark.

This change applies to the following categories of aggregate products:

• aggregates for concrete
• aggregates for bituminous mixtures and surface treatments;
• lightweight aggregates for concrete, mortar and grout;
• lightweight aggregates for bound and unbound applications, excluding concrete, mortar and grout
• aggregates for mortar;
• unbound and hydraulically bound materials;
• armourstone;
• railway ballast

Manufacturers will be legally responsible for product conformity, with Trading Standards being responsible for the enforcement of CE marking. It will have powers to issues fixed penalty notices and order a withdrawal or recall from sale of on non-conforming products.

Survey findings

As well as finding that 66 per cent of people in the construction industry did not know that from July 2013 all recycled aggregates had to bear a CE mark, the survey also found that:

• environmental compliance was rated a ‘more significant factor’ than price when choosing a recycled aggregate supplier;
• almost two thirds (63 per cent) of respondents found secondary material less expensive than virgin aggregates;
• nearly two thirds (64 per cent) of respondents used the Quality Protocol when specifying recycled material;
• nearly two thirds (62 per cent) of those surveyed did not obtain certification to verify the use of the Quality Protocol when purchasing recycled materials and a majority (60 per cent) did not quality-check consignments of recycled aggregate on arrival.

The Quality Protocol is a joint initiative between the Environment Agency, WRAP, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. According to WRAP, the purpose of the protocol is ‘to provide a uniform control process for producers, from which they can reasonably state and demonstrate that their product has been fully recovered and is no longer a waste’.

It also aims to improve confidence in performance through providing purchasers with a quality-managed product, as well as creating ‘a clear audit trail for those responsible for ensuring compliance with Waste Management Legislation’.

The Quality Protocol for the Production of Aggregates from Inert Waste, co-authored by WRAP, the Quarry Products Association and the Highways Agency, was published in 2004 and is currently under review to ensure it is up-to-date with any changes in industry standards.

Speaking of the CE marking changes, WRAP’s aggregate expert, John Barritt, commented: “Recycled aggregate producers working to aggregates Quality Protocol should already be producing and testing their aggregates in compliance with the relevant aggregate standard. CE marking formalises the way this information is presented to customers and should provide greater confidence that aggregates are compliant with specifications.”

Read more about CE marking for aggregates.