With the UK recycling markets experiencing difficulty, there is an increasing reliance on the export of materials to the global commodities market. Exports however, are affected by the cost of shipping (including transport to and from the port, port fees, and so on) which can also fluctuate. Combining low market prices for recyclable materials with high shipping costs can have a significant impact on material revenues. Changing and uncertain export markets High quality is crucial for recyclable material being exported from the UK and as a result, lower quality materials may attract reduced prices or may not be appropriate for export. There have been a number of prosecutions by the Environment Agency due to breaches of quality standards. For the European market, quality requirements are high and inspections are stringent therefore, only the highest quality material is likely to be purchased, leading to low prices for other material. The Chinese market has also seen a tightening of quality requirements, which had a considerable effect in the UK. Changing waste composition Composition of waste is changing in a number of ways and for a number of reasons. For example, the rise in digital media has resulted in a corresponding drop in the demand for newsprint. These trends in turn, have an impact on the markets. In the case of paper, the UK has seen some high profile closures of paper mills including Aylesford Newsprint, which made 100% recycled newsprint using paper from the largest paper recycling factory in Europe. As a result, demand from UK-based reprocessors for paper to be recycled has reduced, making it more challenging to secure sale of material at a high price. These factors are likely to continue to influence the recyclable material markets for the foreseeable future and therefore it is necessary for a long-term waste and recycling strategy to mitigate against the impacts as far as possible, particularly by maximising recycling quality. Future waste projections and capacity requirements Population and Housing It is forecast that an average of 7,800 houses will be built every year in Kent until 2031. This will result in a population growth of 22% over 20 years (from 2011) and 18% growth from 2015. The Table below shows the projected dwellings and population.
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms Term Definition Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) A technology that uses optical character recognition to automatically read number plate characters. Bring banks Recycling facilities often provided by District and Borough Councils in public areas such as supermarket car parks Circular Economy A circular economy keeps resources in use for as long as possible, extracting the maximum value from them whilst in use, then recovering and regenerating products and materials at the end of each service life. Commissioning The process of planning how services are to be delivered, and the day-to-day management of these services. Digital Delivery Providing information and access to services primarily online. Dwellings A house, a flat or other place of residence. Environmental Crime The crime of flytipping and illegal deposit of trade waste at HWRCs. GVW Gross Vehicle Weight Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) A building or site where household waste can be deposited by residents for recycling or disposal. Kent Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy (KJMWMS) The strategy for the Kent Resource Partnership. Kent Resource Partnership (KRP) A Partnership between KCC and the 12 District/Borough/City Councils of Kent. The Partnership looks at how waste management services can be improved in Kent. Low Carbon Economy Reducing costs by cutting emissions. Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) A specialised plant that receives separates and prepares recyclable materials for marketing to manufacturers. Organic wastes Organic waste, or green waste, is organic material such as food, garden and lawn clippings. It can also include animal and plant based material and degradable carbon such as paper, cardboard and timber. Recyclate Any material that is able to be recycled. Recycling Turning waste into a new product or substance, including composting. Recycling outlets A building or site for the treatment and processing of waste for recycling. Refuse Derived Fuel A fuel produced by shredding and dehydrating solid waste with a Waste converter technology. Re-use Checking, cleaning, repairing, and refurbishing whole items or spare parts. Trade Waste Waste produced by businesses or commercial activities.