Guidance

Sample, measure and record the waste your materials facility processes

Published 11 December 2025

Applies to England and Wales

• Publication for Northern Ireland
• Publication for Scotland

If you notify as a materials facility, you may be required to conduct input sampling or both input and output sampling. This depends on what you do with the waste material.

The guide on developing a suitable sampling methodology includes information on methods, considerations, tools, and measurement.

Check what type of sampling your materials facility needs to do

Input sampling only

Input sampling is the sampling, measuring and recording of incoming waste material from one or more suppliers.

If you consolidate incoming waste material from multiple suppliers without separating it into specified outputs you only need to do input sampling.

Input and output sampling

You need to do both input and output sampling if you separate waste material into specified outputs.

In both cases, you are still required to report information about the waste received and the waste removed from your facility.

If you receive waste from a single supplier

If you only consolidate the waste material you receive from a single supplier into bulk quantities and do not separate it into specified output materials, you are not a materials facility. You do not need to sample.

If you separate the waste material from the single supplier into specified output materials you will need to sample both inputs and outputs.

If you receive waste from multiple suppliers

If you only consolidate the materials from multiple suppliers into a common bulked output, only conduct input sampling. Do this before consolidation.

If you separate a supplier’s waste into specified output materials, you need to do both:

• input sampling
• output sampling for each specified output produced from separation activities

If you neither separate a supplier’s waste into specified output materials nor consolidate their incoming waste with that of other suppliers, you do not need to conduct input or output sampling on that supplier’s waste.

For example, you may consolidate one supplier’s waste into bulk quantities without mixing it with inputs from other suppliers. There is no need for input or output sampling for that supplier.

Sample waste your materials facility receives (input sampling)

At a materials facility, input material quality variations and operating factors can affect the quality of specified output materials. It is important that sampling and testing of materials is ongoing and that you assess inputs from different suppliers before waste consolidation.

What you must record

As a notified materials facility, you must sample, measure and record information by individual supplier in each reporting period.

You must record:

• the total weight in tonnes of input material received from each supplier during each reporting period
• the name and address of each supplier for each type of waste material received

You should record the first date within the reporting period that you received a type of waste material from each supplier.

You should measure and record the total weight in tonnes of each type of waste material received from each supplier aggregated over the reporting period.

Types of waste you must identify

The types of waste you must identify in input sampling are:

• glass
• aluminium
• steel
• paper
• card
• plastic bottles
• plastic pots, tubs and trays
• plastic film and other flexible plastics
• other plastics
• fibre-based composite materials

Fibre-based composite material is a category of packaging material that is typically made of paperboard or paper fibres and laminated with plastic. It may also have layers or the presence of other material forming a single unit that cannot be separated by hand.

The regulation requires that daily details of incoming waste material be reported. However, aggregated quarterly reporting of each separate incoming waste material is acceptable. Check if you can follow regulatory position statement (RPS) 334 on reporting requirements for materials facilities in England. In you are in Wales, contact Natural Resources Wales for quarterly reporting advice.

How much to sample

The number of samples a materials facility needs to take depends on the overall weight of waste material delivered by each supplier and how much specified output material is produced.

You need to monitor and record the incoming weight of waste material (by supplier) and weight of specified output material to establish an appropriate sampling schedule.

For input samples:

• the average weight of all samples of waste material inputs in a reporting period must be 60kg or more
• the minimum required sample weight per supplier for waste material inputs is 55kg
• a minimum of one input sample must be taken for every 75 tonnes of waste material delivered by each supplier

This means that:

• if a supplier delivered 500 tonnes of paper and card between April and June, you would be required to take a minimum of 6 samples that were representative of the material as a whole in that quarter
• if the same supplier delivered 1,500 tonnes of paper and card between July and September, a minimum of 20 representative samples would be required for that reporting period

For some small suppliers, typically delivering less than 75 tonnes in a reporting period, this may mean that sampling is not required during every reporting period.

Samples must be representative

All samples taken at your materials facility, both input and output samples, must be representative of either the waste material received or the specified output material from which it is taken.

You must not sample the best loads from a supplier or cleanest specified output material only.

For example, you may decide to take more samples than required from one incoming waste material load and none from the next load because the first load is more typical of that supplier’s waste as a whole.

From a best practice perspective, where a supplier is expected to deliver the 75 tonnes of waste material required to trigger a sample, you may wish to take a sample before the 75 tonnes has been received. This can help you control input waste material quality and ensure that the sample is representative of all the material this supplier delivers.

You are not required to take a sample every time waste material from a supplier reaches 75 tonnes. To ensure that samples are representative of the waste material as a whole, you may need to adjust when samples are taken. But you must ensure that sufficient samples are taken over the reporting period.

Your sampling methodology should demonstrate how you ensure sufficient representative samples are taken at your facility.

Example: representative sampling

A materials facility (MF1) receives around 7,500 tonnes of waste material in a typical reporting period. All the waste material comes from one waste collection authority. MF1 sorts the waste material to identify steel and aluminium within the material. MF1 is required to notify as a materials facility.

MF1 receives waste material from 3 collection rounds within the waste collection authority:

• collection round 1 makes up 20% of the total waste material received from the waste collection authority and always contains high levels of non-recyclable material

• collection round 2 makes up 60% of the total waste material received from the waste collection authority and consistently contains levels of non-recyclable material that fall between rounds one and 3

• collection round 3 makes up 20% of the total waste material received from the waste collection authority and always contains extremely low levels of non-recyclable material

MF1 is required to take a minimum of 100 samples of incoming waste material in a typical reporting period.

If MF1 took all those samples from collection round 3 (or collection round 1), their samples would not be representative. The operator of MF1 should record their decision to take samples from only one collection round, and the reasons for coming to that decision, in their sampling methodology.

If MF1 took 20 samples from round 1, 60 samples from round 2 and 20 samples from round 3, the samples would be representative. The operator of MF1 should record their decision to take samples in this way in their sampling methodology.

If MF1 took all samples from round 2, their samples may be representative. The operator of MF1 should record their decision to take samples from only one collection round, and the reasons for coming to that decision, in their sampling methodology.

Target, non-target and non-recyclable materials

For both input and output sampling you will be required to record whether the materials identified are:

• target material
• non-target material
• non-recyclable material

It is up to you to decide whether a material is a target or non-target material at your facility.

Sample sorted waste your materials facility produces (output sampling)

What specified output material is

You may be producing ‘specified output material’ if you sort the incoming waste material into separate streams.

These output streams will usually still be waste, but even if they have achieved ‘end of waste’ status they will still be specified output material for the purposes of materials facility sampling and reporting.

These outputs may be single or multiple streams of the following:

• glass
• paper
• card
• aluminium
• steel
• plastic
• fibre-based composite material

Items that would normally be removed before sorting the waste are not considered specified output material. For example, large or heavy items that could damage sorting equipment or affect the sorting process.

When you must sample specified output material

If your facility sorts waste materials into separate outputs made up of one or more of the materials previously listed, you are producing specified output material.

You must take samples of all the specified output material that you produce during each reporting period. Any outputs containing multiple streams will also need to be sampled.

What you must record

While sampling specified output material, you must:

• identify the composition of the specified output material by reference to the grade of glass, paper, card, aluminium, steel, plastic or fibre-based composite material
• identify whether each material identified is a target material, non-target material or non-recyclable material
• except for glass (unless specifically requested to do so by the regulator), identify the proportion of packaging waste and drinks containers in each material identified
• record the total weight in tonnes of all specified output material that leaves your facility each reporting period

You must record and report details for each date specified output material leaves the facility. However, aggregated quarterly reporting of each separate output material is acceptable. See if you can follow RPS 334 on reporting requirements for materials facilities in England. If you are in Wales, contact Natural Resources Wales for reporting advice.

How much to sample

For specified output materials, sample weights vary by the type of specified output material.

All samples of specified output materials should be equal to or greater than the sample weight required by the regulations.

The minimum required specified output material sampling frequency and weights are as follows.

Material	Minimum sampling frequency	Minimum sampling weight
Glass	Every 50 tonnes	10kg
Paper and card	Every 60 tonnes	50kg
Metal (aluminium, steel or both)	Every 20 tonnes	10kg
Plastic (all types)	Every 15 tonnes	20kg
Fibre-based composite materials	Every 60 tonnes	50kg

If a sample contains more than one type of material

Where a sample contains more than one type of material, the sample weight required will be for the material with the lower sampling frequency.

For example, for a mixed plastic and metal output stream, one sample must be taken for every 15 tonnes of specified output material produced (rather than every 20 tonnes) and those samples must weigh at least 20kg each.

Identify packaging and drinks containers at your materials facility

You are required to identify how much of each material you identify in your samples is packaging waste or drinks containers. This applies to both input and specified output samples. The exception is glass identified in the sample.

The identification of packaging and drinks containers in the glass within a sample need only be carried out when specifically requested by the regulator. A minimum of 4 weeks’ prior notice will be provided to the facility in such cases.

Packaging materials

For each category of target, non-target and non-recyclable materials, you must identify and measure the proportions of packaging items (except for glass unless it is specifically required by the regulator).

‘Packaging’ means any product for containing, protecting, handling, delivering and presenting goods. It can include the following types.

You do not need to measure the proportions of the different types of packaging listed – just the total proportions of items by material type that are packaging.

Primary packaging

This is packaging made to constitute a sales unit to the final user or consumer at the point of purchase. For example, for peas in steel tins with paper labels, the primary packaging is the steel tin and paper label.

Secondary packaging

This is packaging made to contain a number of sales units. This can be either:

• supplied to the final user or consumer
• used only to replenish the shelves at the point of sale

It can be removed from the product without affecting the product’s characteristics.

For example, the cardboard tray or box that is used to contain multiple cans of peas that are sold individually or as a multipack.

Tertiary packaging

This is packaging made to support handling and transport of a number of sales units or secondary packaging to prevent damage from physical handling and transport damage. Tertiary packaging does not include road, rail, ship and air containers.

For example, a large cardboard box that is used to contain several multipacks of tinned peas.

Shipment packaging

This is packaging in addition to primary packaging on items which are sold online or by mail order which are either:

• delivered direct to the purchaser
• collected by the purchaser from a shop or other collection point after they have been purchased

For example, an envelope or box that is delivered from an online shop or a bag containing clothing ordered and collected from a store.

Drinks containers

For each steel, aluminium and plastic material identified in samples (whether target, non-target or non-recyclable materials), you must also separately identify and measure the proportions of drinks containers as a category of packaging.

Drinks containers include bottles and cans that:

• are made entirely or mainly from steel, aluminium or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic
• are made to hold between 50 millilitres and 3 litres of liquid
• when filled for supply the container is securely closed
• are designed to be used only once or for a short period of time

Identify and measure material particles at your materials facility

You must separately identify and measure any material particles in your samples.

Particles of material measuring less than 55 millimetres along their longest dimension should be identified within a sample and weighed. The exception is when sampling specified output material consisting mostly of glass.

After the rest of the sample has been analysed and its composition recorded, you must calculate the composition of the material particles based on the composition of the non-particle contents of the sample.

You must divide the total weight of the material particles using the non-particle content proportions recorded for that sample.

Example of material particles

Example of an input sample taken from a municipal glass collection:

• total weight of waste material input sample: 60kg
• weight of sub 55mm particles in the sample: 6kg
• weight of remaining sample without particles: 54kg
• of the 54kg, 45.9kg is glass bottles: 85%
• of the 54kg, 8.1kg is steel food cans: 15%
• 85% of the particles should be recorded as glass: 5.1kg
• 15% of the particles should be recorded as steel packaging: 0.9kg

Total glass to be reported: 51kg.

Total steel packaging to be reported: 9kg.

Particles in glass specified output materials

When sampling specified output material that is mostly made up of glass particles, particles are identified as measuring less than 13 millimetres along their longest dimension.

Offsite sample analysis and using technology at your materials facility

Offsite sample analysis

You must take both input and output samples at the materials facility. But you can have those samples analysed elsewhere.

If you decide to use offsite sample analysis arrangements, you must make sure that:

• the sample analysis meets the requirements in Schedule 9 of the Environmental Permitting Regulations
• the offsite sample analysis locations are available for inspection by the regulator
• samples taken at your facility can be traced through the offsite analysis process to ensure that your reporting is accurate

You remain responsible for complying with your permit conditions, even if you use a third party to carry out offsite analysis.

Visual detection and recognition technologies

Emerging technologies are increasingly enabling the automation of certain aspects of materials facility operations, including identification and sorting of waste material.

Visual detection and recognition technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), can enable the automation of sampling and you may choose to use them for sampling or analysis.

While there are no barriers to the use of AI technology for materials facility sampling, it will remain your responsibility to record and to be able to demonstrate to the regulator how your sampling methodology is producing representative results, whatever technology is in use.

Materials facilities operators must:

• meet or exceed the requirements of the regulations, including sampling frequency, minimum sample weight requirements and ensuring that samples are representative
• submit returns to the regulator in the format set out by the regulator
• make available to the regulator, on request, evidence of the reliability of results by demonstrating that the sample measurements are at least as accurate as would be expected if measuring was done by hand
• ensure details of any technology used and details of the evidence you hold to demonstrate its accuracy and reliability are included within your written sampling methodology and are made available to the regulator on request

You remain responsible for complying with your permit conditions, even if you have third-party contractual arrangements in place for the technologies used.