A ruling by the environment department of Malmo in Sweden means that RDF can only be imported by ship now if it is transported in closed containers. This restriction follows problems with the transfer of RDF from vessels at the port which led to reports of split bales leaving waste littering the dockside.
The penalty for breaching the ban has been set at 30,000 Swedish Krona (nearly £2,300) – but it is not clear whether the ban – which came into force in April – is permanent or temporary. There are also some industry fears that the restrictions at Malmö could mark the beginning of a wider clampdown on the import of foreign RDF into Sweden.
Reporting on the issue, letsrecycle.com says a letter from Malmö city council to port operator Copenhagen Malmö Port (CMP) details inspections carried out in September 2014 that found split bales and packaging so poor that it broke during unloading. Sweden is the second-largest recipient of RDF from the UK – however, most of this is shipped to Gothenburg. The origin of the offending waste is not stated in the report but said to be from a number of operators. As Malmö is not often used as a container shipping port, the ban has more or less stopped the import of RDF through the port. This mostly affects those shipping to the port via smaller vessels and using forklifts or cranes for loading and unloading bales.
At Clarity, we offer an expanding network of UK RDF outlets. Joining this network enables your material to be sent to any of several UK sites. If a single site is shut down for technical or weather reasons, we can find alternative solutions within our network, giving you full confidence that your waste stream will keep flowing.
To find out more about our RDF solutions call our team on 0845 129 7177
Our team will also be at RWM at the NEC Birmingham, 15 – 17 September – come and meet us there and find out more on stand 4N39.
