This guidance explains the standards (appropriate measures) for facilities with an environmental permit to mechanically treat metal waste in shredders.

Mechanical treatment in shredders includes plant such as:

  • hammer mills
  • chain mills
  • rotary shears
  • other similar equipment designed to fragment metal into smaller pieces to separate metallic and non-metallic fractions

Mechanical treatment in shredders includes using the equipment to re-size metal into smaller fragments for logistical or transport reasons.

It does not include shearers and guillotines which use a range of hydraulic machinery with hard steel blades to cut metals into manageable sizes.