Revisions have been made to the protocol that accounts for aluminium packaging recovered from incinerator bottom ash (IBA) following approval from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Environment Agencies.

The protocol, developed by the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro), was originally introduced on 1 January this year to ‘enable a more accurate comparison between the sector’s recycling performance in the UK with its European counterparts’.

However, the tonnage reported for aluminium packaging recovered from bottom-ash is significantly below the amount that has been recycled or exported. According to Alupro, addressing this difference will help to ensure data is robust and accurately reflects the industry’s efforts to meet national recycling targets.

Three revisions to protocol

As part of the changes, three revisions have been made to the protocol in order to obtain a more accurate rate of aluminium packaging currently recycled in the UK or exported for recycling.

The previous protocol assumed that a minimum of 50 per cent of the mixed non-ferrous metals recovered from IBA was aluminium packaging, including drinks, cans, foils and aerosols. Following detailed studies of samples and discussions with metal processors, this has now been increased to 70 per cent.

In addition, exporters and UK reprocessors of aluminium recovered from IBA will be able to issue packaging recovery notes (PRNs) or packaging export recovery notes (PERNS) based on 87.5 per cent of the total recovered aluminium fraction. This change is being introduced after ongoing analysis of IBA found that significant volumes of mixed non-ferrous metals are sold by IBA processors to UK metal reprocessors who separate the aluminium fraction for export or sale to a UK remelter.

Up to now some metals processors have been applying the original 50 per cent figure to the recovered aluminium fraction instead of the actual recovered fraction, resulting in an under-reporting of packaging recovery figures.

The third revision to the protocol applies to aluminium packaging mixed with metal from other sources and processed at a fragmentation plant, making it impossible to separately weigh the non-ferrous metals from IBA prior to export. Now, metal processors will be permitted to issue a PERN on the incoming weight to the fragmentation plant based on 70 per cent of the IBA derived mixed non-ferrous metals.

Changes can only help so much with PRN shortfall

Commenting on the changes, Rick Hindley, Executive Director of Alupro, said: "This is a very positive move for the reporting of aluminium packaging recovery, and it will begin to make a difference this year. But a number of significant players in the aluminium recovery sector have yet to be accredited, and we will not see an exact difference until they have done so."

The three revisions can be applied retrospectively from 1 January 2015 or the date on which the reprocessor or exporter originally applied for accreditation. This timeframe puts the changes in line with the measures Defra put in place last week to address the reporting shortfall in the aluminium market.

As part of Alupro’s campaign to increase the reliability of aluminium recycling figures, in July the trade association commissioned waste consultancy Resource Futures to carry out a study ascertaining ‘the real aluminium packaging recycling figure.’

Learn more about Alupro.