Guidance

Non-packaging plastics: quality protocol

Updated 4 May 2016

This quality protocol applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

1. When the final product is no longer waste

Non-packaging plastics that you process and recover for reuse will not be subject to waste controls when you can show you have:

• used only permitted waste non-packaging plastics as input materials
• stored and processed the waste correctly, meeting the required standards including all inspections and tests

And the products you make from the waste:

• need no further treatment before use
• meet any extra specifications made by your customer
• are only for use in plastics manufacturing

To prove your compliance you will need to keep records of your processes and methods, and any test or inspection results, for 2 years.

You will also need to prepare a quality compliant safety data sheet for your customers.

2. Waste inputs

Only use non-packaging waste plastics.

3. How to meet the quality protocol standard

3.1 Record your incoming waste

You must keep records that include:

• waste type, including the European Waste Catalogue (EWC) code
• its volume or weight
• source of the waste
• date of delivery, if the waste is not already on site
• name and address of supplier
• name and address of carrier
• your method for confirming the waste is acceptable input material – if not, your rejection reasons and what you did with the rejected waste

3.2 Store waste products correctly

Follow waste management controls .

3.3 Process the non-packaging waste plastic to the required standards

The standards that apply to all waste non-packaging plastics are:

• BS EN 15343:2007 Recycling traceability and assessment of conformity
• BS EN 15347:2007 Characterisation of waste plastics
• CEN/TR 15353:2007 Guidelines for the development of standards relating to recycled plastics

The standards that apply to specific non-packaging waste plastic types are:

• BS EN 15342:2007 Characterisation of polystyrene (PS) recyclates
• BS EN 15344:2007 Characterisation of polyethylene (PE) recyclates
• BS EN 15345:2007 Characterisation of polypropylene (PP) recyclates
• BS EN 15346:2007 Characterisation of poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) recyclates
• BS EN 15348:2007 Characterisation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recyclates

You can find the British Standard’s Engineering Standards from the British Standards Institute (bsi) website .

3.4 Produce a safety data sheet for the quality protocol compliant material

You must include:

1. Identification of the substance/preparation and of the company/undertaking, to include:

• product identification
• use of the product (including recommended end-use applications)
• identification of the company
• emergency telephone number
• information about the product (for example, what it consists of)
• standards for recycled plastics

2. Hazards identification, to include:

• chemical characterisation
• hazardous ingredients

3. Composition and information on ingredients

4. First aid measures

5. Fire-fighting measures

6. Accidental release measures

7. Handling and storage

8. Exposure controls and personal protection, to include:

• exposure limit values
• occupational exposure controls
• environmental exposure controls

9. Physical and chemical properties

10. Stability and reactivity

• conditions to avoid
• materials to avoid
• hazardous decomposition products

11. Toxicological information, to include:

• toxicological data
• health effects

12. Ecological information, to include:

• ecotoxicity
• mobility
• persistence and degradability
• bio-accumulative potential
• other adverse effects

13. Disposal considerations, to include:

• waste treatment
• packaging treatment

14. Transport information

15. Regulatory information

16. Other information

Include an annex on exposure scenarios. This needs to be completed if there is any hazardous content. It must contain the:

• basic information on hazardous content
• main route of human exposure
• main route of environmental exposure
• risk management measures

4. Loss of non-waste status

Quality protocol compliant materials made from waste non-packaging plastics will become waste and subject to waste management controls if at any stage you dispose of it, you are required to dispose of it or store it indefinitely, with little prospect of use.

This applies to anyone holding stores of quality protocol compliant materials made from waste non-packaging plastics, not just producers.

5. Materials from waste non-packaging plastics mixed with waste and non-waste

If you blend quality protocol complaint materials made from waste non-packaging plastics with:

• waste material, the whole mixed volume becomes waste and you must apply waste management controls
• non-waste material, the whole volume is non-waste – but you will need to check that it is suitable for use in a plastics manufacturing process

6. Paperwork and records checklist

You must keep information about your waste non-packaging plastics recovery and processing for 2 years.

6.1 Incoming waste

Record all incoming waste non-packaging plastics you accept for processing. You may also need this information for your permit conditions.

6.2 Production data

Keep a copy of any inspections or tests needed to achieve compliance with the standards that apply to your waste non-packaging plastics input materials.

6.3 Outgoing quality compliant materials made from waste non-packaging plastics

Keep copies of documents you give to your customers. These should show the:

• date of product dispatch
• quantity by weight or volume
• name and address of the customer
• description of the receiving company’s business

You must also provide a data sheet for quality protocol compliant material, and a statement confirming the product supplied:

• conforms to the required standards – include a list of the standards you’ve applied
• meets the specification agreed by you and the customer
• meets the quality protocol for waste non-packaging plastics

Your records must be legible and available to the regulator on request.