The average percentage (by weight) of target material received by responding MFs in Q3 2017 was 85.5% for England and 87.8 % for Wales. The figure for England is the same as the last quarter, and there has been a 0.4% decrease for Wales.
The lowest average percentage (by weight) of a specified target material in the output material streams is for plastic in England (90.6%), and glass for Wales (89.8%).
In England 88 facilities notified the Regulator (in accordance with the Regulations) for Jul – Sep 2017 and 87 submitted a quarterly data return. The facility which did not submit has ongoing mitigating issues. In Wales, 12 facilities notified the Regulator, and 11 submitted data.
This is the twelfth publication of data under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 (Schedule 9), relating to the reporting period, July – September (Q3) 2017, and represents 3 full years of data reporting by MF operators.
MF Output stream analysis: England
The total tonnage of Specified Output Material (SOM) leaving the responding MFs in Q3 2017 was 630,679 tonnes.
This is a decrease of 5,568 tonnes compared to the previous quarter. The MFs provided data based on a total of 18,903 samples totalling 735 tonnes which shows an increase from the last quarter.
Sampling data of outputs shows that the average percentage of target material of responding MFs is 90.6% or higher for all of the four main SOM. There has been an increase of 0.1% in the average percentage of target material for metal. Glass has decreased by 0.8%, plastic by 0.3% and paper by 0.2%.
The variability across samples as indicated by the inter-quartile range is lowest for paper and highest for plastic, which is the same as the previous five quarters.
MF Output stream analysis: Wales
The total tonnage of SOM leaving the responding MFs in Q3 2017 was 55,371 tonnes, which is 802 tonnes less than Q2 2017. Eleven of the 12 notified facilities provided data.
SOM produced by MFs contain some materials that are non-target and non-recyclable. Sampling data of outputs shows the average percentage of target material in the outputs of responding MFs is 89.8% or higher for all the four main SOM.
The weighted mean average for plastic increased by 0.7% since the last quarter (Q2). Glass has seen a decrease of 0.3%, metal has decreased by 2% and paper by 0.7%.
