Issues facing MRFs regarding material output quality

Mike Falconer HallProgramme Manager – Materials RecyclingWRAP

Why is quality important?

Quality is important in any product

Easier to sell

Financial reward

Compliance to a ‘specification’

Legal compliance (destination country’s and UK’s)

Availability of material in a global market

Develops relationship with end users

As the market matures quality gives a competitive advantage

Municipal Collection

Waste Streams

QUALITYMATERIALS

CO2

savings

MRF

Reprocessors

Re-use, recycle

Management Systems Sampling Measurement Technical

Standards Contractual arrangements Advocacy

Local Authorities

Collections

What can Local Authorities do? Educate and promote best practise

Reward good practise and ‘deal’ with those who contaminate material

Look at potential quality issues when designing collection schemes

Request quality data from the MRF to inform decisions and monitor progress

Link gate fees to output quality in contracts?

What can MRFs do?

Manage quality throughout the process Collect and evaluate important data:

Quality – in / out / residue Input quality vs. production throughput Production throughput vs. output quality

Monitor and maintain equipment Train staff and develop a quality culture Work with the Local Authorities Understand the reprocessing process

What can MRFs do? - equipment

Wide variety of MRF manufacturers

UK providers have a better understanding of UK needs

Plant configuration

Plant capacity

Performance guarantee

What can MRFs do? - input specification

Contract documentation

Input materials Mix of materials Level of contamination Age Storage methods Level of compaction Quality of materials (e.g. wet paper)

Sampling

Agreement on rejection procedure

What can MRFs do? - processing Quality management systems Appropriate for each Local Authorities’

materials Speed of process Flexibility of process Sampling with regular feedback to operatives Material storage Good housekeeping Spillages must go back to the input stockpile

What can MRFs do? - output specification Agreement with end user

Sampling off the line (or off the bale)

Understanding market conditions

Make a consistent product

Training of staff

Regulations

The cost to MRFs of poor quality

Reduced revenue for material (ongoing if consistency in quality an issue)

Low / no demand when market conditions are poor

Risk of prosecution and costs (direct and indirect)

Cost of rework

Cost of returning goods

Cost of processing claims

Summary

Quality management makes financial sense

Each link in the supply chain needs to understand the operations and requirements of the others

Monitor the requirements of the market

Test outputs against these requirements

Communicate with all parts of the supply chain