18-05-2012, 12:54 PM
End of Waste – Scrap Metal Case Study
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Introduction IPTS End of waste project
In the preliminary communication regarding the Thematic Strategy on Waste, among others,
the issue of when a waste ceases to be waste is highlighted as being ambiguous and the
clarification of this could be important and beneficial. It is proposed that in order to improve
this situation, the revised Waste Framework Directive shall contain a provision that is
designed to clarify “end of waste” status for those waste streams where the use of “end of
waste” would be appropriate, on a stream-by-stream basis. The aim of the IPTS project is to
support the development of such end of waste criteria under the revised Directive, through a
scientific, thorough and transparent analysis.
Case study of metal scrap
As one of the three pilot cases, metal scrap focuses on two types of metal scrap, i.e. iron and
steel scrap and aluminium scrap, and both scraps originate from and are widely used across
various industrial sectors to household appliances.
Scrap is generated when a metal containing product reaches its end of life or during product
fabrication, however the amount of scrap collected and finally recovered depends on various
factors, such as the distribution of the product, the possibility and techniques for separation,
etc. as well as a variety of legislation. Logically the main scrap sources are those products for
which metal is the main input material, namely, vehicles and mass transportation facilities
(including ship and aeroplanes), metal products for construction, machinery, electrical and
electronic equipment, cables, and beverage cans and foil. It is not possible, from the point of
view of data and information as well as practical resources for this case study, to cover all the
sources of metal scrap, and therefore, only the above mentioned main sources of scrap are
discussed here after.
Objective and approach
The specific objective of this case study is to provide scientific arguments on:
1. if there is a need for end of waste criteria for metal scrap, and if yes,
2. the type of criteria that is most suitable, and
3. the possible consequences of the implementation of such criteria on the economic and
environmental performance of the industry as well as on legislation issues.
Three phases are foreseen in carrying out the case study. The first phase is to understand the
current structure of the scrap sector in the metal industry. The collection and processing of
both steel and aluminium scrap, though operated separately and much less centralised than the
primary metal production, has long been established and the flow from waste to secondary
material and their markets are relatively well organised. Thus, it is essential to carry out an
overview of the industry as a whole and to evaluate the detailed set-up of the scrap sector in
particular, so that the possibility of end of waste criteria and their impact can be anticipated. It
is expected that, besides desk research, interviews and site visits will be carried out as a
means of information and data collection.