Project Integra - Recycling in Hampshire


	Getting the credit for recycling The recycling credit scheme in Hampshire (operated by Hampshire County Council) Are you a community group or other organisation collecting materials for recycling? If so, you could gain an extra source of income from the materials you collect – on top of any money you may make from selling the materials – in the form of “Recycling Credits”. Why we're paying Recycling Credits / Some of your questions answered / Eligibility for credits / Conditions of registration / Applying for payment / How to register for Recycling Credits WHY WE’RE PAYING RECYCLING CREDITS Hampshire County Council is the waste disposal authority (WDA) for Hampshire. This means it must arrange for the disposal of household and commercial waste collected by the District Councils – waste collection authorities (WCAs). Reducing waste and increasing recycling are part of the answer to society’s increasing waste problem, so they present major opportunities for the County and District Councils. Recycling Credits were introduced under the Environment Protection Act 1990. They pass back to recyclers the savings in waste disposal and collection costs which result from the recycling of household waste. WDAs like Hampshire have the power to pay Recycling Credits to community groups, businesses or other organisations which send household waste to be recycled. WCAs have the power to pay similar credit to community groups, businesses or other organisations which collect household waste for recycling. Recycling Credits are an important way for County and District Councils to show their commitment to household waste recycling, by recognising the contribution of various bodies to recycling in the county. This website answers some of your questions about Recycling Credits and may help you decided whether to apply for them. SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED Will my organisation qualify for Recycling Credits? Yes, if your recycling scheme meets several criteria laid down in the 1990 Act. These are set out below under ‘Eligibility for Credits’. What type of waste will qualify? Materials for recycling that would otherwise form part of household waste, e.g. glass, newspapers and magazines, food and drinks cans. The sale of second-hand books or the use of returnable bottles or containers does not qualify. You must collect enough to meet the minimum tonnage, which is 4 tonnes. Will ‘commercial’ waste qualify? No – credits are not paid for commercial waste, e.g. office waste paper, glass from pubs and restaurants. Only household waste will qualify. What if my organisation collects waste outside Hampshire? Only waste collected within Hampshire qualifies for Recycling Credits from Hampshire Country Council. If you collect waste in a neighbouring county, you can apply to that council for the credit. How does the County Council know that the waste my organisation collects is being recycled? Before you can claim Recycling Credits, your scheme must be registered with an approved merchant/recycler. This is so that we know the waste you collect us actually being recycled. Credits will only be paid on the basis of a receipt from an approved merchant/recycler. You must also use an approved weighbridge to weigh your waste, unless we agree to an alternative arrangement. Will it cost my organisation anything to register? No – registration is free of charge. Who is the Recycling Credit payable to? It’s payable to the collector of the waste i.e. the organisation collecting the waste for recycling, for example, by providing and operating bottle of can banks or by operating a separate house-to-house collection. (A collector is not the individual member of the public who takes waste materials to the can or bottle banks.). Collectors may perform the process of recycling themselves or may pass on the material to another organisation for reprocessing. ELIGIBILITY FOR CREDITS To qualify for Recycling Credits, your scheme must meet the criteria laid down in the Environmental Protection Act 1990, as follows. The Scheme must correspond with the approved definition of recycling, in Waste Management Paper 28 (DoE 1991): ‘the collection and separation of materials from waste and subsequent processing to produce marketable products’. Recycling does not include the sale of second-hand books or clothes, the use of returnable bottles or containers, or by-products of waste treatment or disposal such as landfill gas. However, credits will be paid for materials from textile banks, as it is difficult to distinguish between materials which have been recycled and those which will be reused. There are two types of Recycling Credit: Disposal Credits and Collection Credits. Definitions - *Disposal Credits –* We must pay credits to a WCA when the WCA diverts household waste for recycling that would otherwise be disposed of through conventional disposal. We can also pay credits to ‘third parties’ responsible for removing waste from the waste stream for recycling. These are called Disposal Credits. *Collections Credits –* WCAs can also pay credits to thirds parties for the collection of household waste it would otherwise have collected. These are called Collection Credits. The Recycling Credit will be paid to the person collecting the waste for recycling. (We will need to be sure that the waste is being recycled and not simply collected.) The collector will usually be the organisation which establishes the services or facilities to collect the waste for recycling, for example by providing and operating bottle or paper banks, or by operating a house-to-house collection round. A collector would not be the individual member of the public who takes the waste materials to the bottle or can bank. Collectors may do the recycling themselves or may pass on the material to a processor. Organisations sending waste for recycling under a contract will not qualify for the Disposal Credit; neither will organisations collecting waste for recycling under a contract qualify for the Collection Credit. Credits will be paid only on controlled waste for which no direct charge is levied (essentially household waste). Schemes reclaiming or collecting the following materials will be eligible for recycling credits: GLASS CANS, ALUMINIUM ONLY NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES TEXTILES CANS, MIXED STEEL AND ALUMINIUM PLASTICS Schemes recycling other materials might qualify if they meet the above criteria. Please ask us. Credits will not be paid to your organisation if arrangements already exist for recycling in the area in which you would operate. CONDITIONS OF REGISTRATION Conditions of Registration are as follows: The recycling scheme must meet the criteria laid down in the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (see ‘Eligibility for Credits’.) The collector/reclaimer must register with the County Council before making any claims for credits. Only one registration form need be completed, no matter how many materials are claimed by that collector/reclaimer. If the collector/reclaimer is also a merchant/recycler, both registration forms need to be completed. If the collector/reclaimer is operating in a county other than, or in addition to, Hampshire, then they must also register with that county. Only schemes which collect waste within Hampshire for recycling are eligible for registration. Applications for registration must clearly state the recipient of any payment and the nature, location and extent of the collections. The scheme must keep proper records and accounts available for inspection by WDA inspectors. To qualify for a credit, the claimant must produce weighbridge tickets in compliance with the Weights and Measures Act, or other documents by prior agreement with us. The operators of the scheme are responsible for ensuring compliance with all relevant law (e.g. hauliers should be registered carriers and waste) and must themselves comply with the law regarding duty of care, or state why they are exempt. If in doubt, please take legal advice about duty of care. The operators of the scheme must not have had any fraudulent dealings or convictions. All schemes must show they have a proven route for the recycled material to go to a registered merchant/recycler. False information supplied to us may result in registration being withdrawn. All registered collectors/reclaimers must carry identification stating name, address, photograph and recycling registration number if collecting via a door-to-door scheme. APPLYING FOR PAYMENT Payment will be made no more frequently than quarterly, on receipt of the claim form. You must fully complete a separate form for each material collected, and send it with the appropriate documents. The claim must be accompanied by original (not photocopied) weighbridge tickets/receipts. We may reject handwritten tickets if they are not certified by an authorising officer. Weighbridge tickets must carry a reference number and must accurately describe the materials for which credits are being claimed. Sites and methods of collection should be listed. The minimum claim for all materials on the approved list is 4 tonnes. ‘Split’ loads of recyclable materials will be accepted if the operators wish to make up a loads of various materials to meet the minimum weight requirements. However, the operators must state the composition of the mixed load, for statistical purposes. Incorrectly completed claim forms will not be processed. All claims will be subject to inspection and monitoring. Conditions of registration must be complied with. Failure to do so will result in approval being withdrawn. If you have any questions, please contact Waste Management Section Environment Department Hampshire County Council Ashburton Court West Winchester SO23 8UD Telephone: (01962) 847021 When and how do I claim? Before you can submit a claim for credits, you must register your organisation as an approved collector/reclaimer. If you meet the conditions of registration and are included on an approved list of collectors, you may claim by sending the claim form with relevant documents. For how long is my application valid? Once you are accepted on the approved list, you do not need to reapply for 3 years. Your application will remain valid for this period unless any of the information you have stated on your application form changes significantly. Please note: Hampshire County Council reserves the right not to pay the credit if these criteria are not met. HOW TO REGISTER FOR RECYCLING CREDITS Contact the WDA, which will be able to advise you whether you will be eligible to claim the credit. The WDA will send forms enabling you to register as a recycler and to apply for the credits, if you organisation qualifies.



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