MHW Magazine News and stories from the Materials Handling Industry
Resource recovery specialist Axion Consulting and 360 Environmental are working in partnership to help Material Recovery Facilities operators understand and comply with the latest waste legislation.
The Compliance Assessment Review Tool (CART) combines the knowledge and experience of both companies to deliver a comprehensive evaluation of a MRF’s compliance performance in relation to both its site operations and its suppliers.
Drawing on its experience as a plant operator in the waste industry, Axion can assess the functional aspects of a waste sorting facility to help provide a practical report listing key priorities for on-going compliance.
Independent waste management expert 360 Environmental provides expertise in helping companies to understand and comply with a wide range of waste legislation requirements including Duty of Care, permitting and planning issues, export requirements and producer responsibility compliance.
The CART service covers a full review of waste documentation and procedures to validate a site’s compliance performance. It also includes a full report detailing a list of critical enforcement issues and details of all non-conformities, highlighting areas of potential enforcement and commercial risk.
Axion Director Keith Freegard points out that site audits have demonstrated that staff are often unaware of the key requirements and have not implemented the changes necessary to remain compliant.
"Changes to regulations, such as those brought about by the Waste Regulations 2011, must be incorporated into site processes as well as monitored into relation to suppliers," he says. "Legislation does not stand still and facilities must have systems in place to ensure compliance with both existing and new legislation.
"Most MRF site managers are very busy people, so taking a preventative approach to managing the risk of non-compliance in the form of a planned external audit is far more cost-effective and considerably less disruptive than being found lacking in key areas during a random agency spot-check," adds Keith.
360 Environmental’s Phil Conran, believes that MRFs will be under increasing pressure to demonstrate compliance, saying. "Government is moving towards better self-regulation and the adoption of improved Codes of Practice. Sites will therefore need to ensure they are fully compliant to meet expected quality standards and show they are fit for purpose."
Axion Consulting, part of the Axion Group, develops and optimises processing and collection methods to recover value from waste resources for a wide range of clients within the recycling and process industries. Axion designs and builds innovative process plants for companies in the recycling sector, advising on plant design and equipment selection. Its specialist teams have particular expertise in mixed waste plastics and biofuels.
