International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

46.9.1 Quality Standards
European Standards for Aggregates, which are derived from natural, recycled and
manufactured materials, were introduced in 2004. 801 They facilitate the use of
recycled aggregate by increasing confidence in the quality and consistent nature of
the product. In support of this, WRAP funded a programme of work in the UK which
provides guidance for producers of recycled aggregate. 802
In Sweden the National Roads Administration (NRA) has been raising standards in
road quality since 1994. In order to cope with the frost, thick roads are needed and
crushed rock was found to withstand these conditions far better than gravel. In light
of this, the NRA supported road construction companies that were proposing to use
secondary crushed rock. It is difficult to measure the impact of the NRA’s road
standards compared to the gravel tax since the effect of one could be obscuring the
effects of the other (see Section 47.0 for aggregate standards).
46.9.2 Waste Disposal Tax
In Denmark the raw material tax was implemented in conjunction with a waste
disposal tax, the key aim being that the combination of the taxes would reduce use of
resources and encourage substitution of recycled materials. The effects of the raw
material tax therefore must be considered in conjunction with the waste tax.
In 1996 a fixed charge on excavation and dredging was applied to raw materials. The
revenue from this fund was intended to fund research into alternative construction
materials within the industry – but this has not yet happened.
As previously discussed in Section 46.5, a landfill tax is in place in both Sweden and
the UK which is likely to encourage aggregate recycling at the disposal stage, but
quantifying the direct impact upon aggregate recycling from both taxes is complex. It
is expected though that in both the UK and Sweden landfill tax does work in
conjunction with the tax on aggregates because the landfill tax provides an incentive
to re-use material at the end of life. In light of this, waste from the C&D sector is being
used as an aggregate resource to avoid both landfilling of waste, and the costs of
extracting new material, made higher by the tax on aggregates.
46.9.3 Incentives
The Netherlands Government incentivises the use of secondary aggregate, to
discourage the use of virgin materials, when construction projects for the public
sector are being undertaken. 803
801 WRAP (2008) European Standards for Aggregates (2004), Accessed 23 rd October 2008,
http://www.aggregain.org.uk/quality/aggregates_standards/european.html
802 WRAP (2005) The Quality Protocol for the Production of Aggregates from Inert Waste, Accessed
October 23 rd 2008, http://www.wrap.org.uk/downloads/0083_Quality_Protocol_A4.21d89729.87.pdf
803 AEA Technology (2007) International Approaches to Waste Prevention and Minimisation, Final
Report for Defra (BREW), Accessed 15 th October 2008,
663
International Review of Waste Policy: Annexes