Aluminium recovery hit hard in Q1 packaging data

Changes to scrap metal protocols have led to a “concerning” shortfall in the amount of aluminium packaging recovered in the first quarter of 2015, some industry sources have claimed in response to provisional recycling data released today (April 22).

And, changes to rules on energy-from-waste accreditation have also seen an estimated shortfall of 110,000 tonnes in the amount of recovery PRNs accepted over the first quarter.

The findings come from interim packaging waste recovery data published by the Environment Agency today, which shows the amount of packaging recovered or recycled between January and March 2015.

The data suggests that 14,871 tonnes of aluminium was accepted or exported in Q1, short of the estimated 18,871 tonne quarterly obligation that producers must meet for the material.

This could, some have claimed, be due to a removal of the agreed protocols for aluminium, such as mixed alloy cuttings, old rolled and old alloys – after criticism that the amount of actual aluminium packaging content in the material is negligible.

Instead producers can now claim PRNs on aluminium extracted from incinerator bottom ash (IBA). However, the amount extracted from IBA in Q1 was just 425 tonnes.

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