clearview Clarity develops new service to recycle CRT glass p4-7 clarity July 2014 Packaging data Overwhelming improvement in Q2 p12-13

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1 clearview The latest news and views from clarity Clarity develops new service to recycle CRT glass p4-7 July 2014 Packaging data Overwhelming improvement in Q2 p12-13 Market Reports The latest news and prices p18-19

2 2 clearview July 2014 What s happening this month? Introduction A short note from the Editor Cover Story Clarity develops new service to recycle CRT glass Q2 Packaging data Latest data reveals overwhelming improvement Latest News The latest from Clarity and beyond Environmental compliance Clarity tackles compliance cost concerns FAQs: Packaging Compliance How do I identify my business activities for packaging? FAQs: WEEE Compliance Can you explain why I need to provide quarterly data? PRN Market Report PRN material analysis Metals Update Lead acid and catalytic converter markets Get in Touch, Stay Connected Give us a call, drop us an or visit our office Contributors The comments made by clearview contributors are their own and may not represent the views or policies of. Environment We are passionate about the environment and clearview is designed to be read online. Please consider the environment if you print. Legal The Clarity name and mark are used under license from Clarity Environmetal Limited. Company Registration Number:

3 July 2014 clearview 3 Welcome to our July edition Lucy Brooks Editor lucy.brooks@clarity.eu.com We are delighted to share our latest clearview with you, which this month leads on news from our Waste and Recycling team. We are proud of the growth that this division has experienced in recent years, with the introduction of new services, such as our refuse derived fuel (RDF) and solid recovered fuel (SRF) solutions. This latest development means we can now offer cost-effective and sustainable recycling solutions for CRT glass, which as a result of LED, LCD and plasma technology, has become largely old. Read about what happens to all the redundant screens and how we are helping to recycle them on P4. Also this month, we report on the latest packaging recycling and export data, which was released by the Environment Agency last week. This quarterly data shows the amount of packaging recovered or recycled between April and June 2014 and, with an overwhelming improvement from the previous quarter, has been welcomed across the industry. Alongside these features, you can, as usual, get the latest round-up of industry news and our packaging recovery note (PRN) and metals news and market reports. The legal update takes a break this month but will return once again in August. Got something to say? We d love to know what you think of clearview. Please get in contact if you have any feedback about our newsletter. We d also love to hear from you if you have advice, news or views you would like us to consider for our future editions.

4 4 clearview July 2014 Clarity develops new service to recycle CRT glass John Adams Director With LED, LCD and plasma taking over television and computer screen technology, the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) market is declining. So what is happening to all the redundant television sets and monitor screens? Director, John Adams, discusses our latest service providing sustainable recycling options for all types of CRT glass.

5 July 2014 clearview 5 Redundant technology Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) once dominated screen technology, but with the introduction of flat screens in recent years, the manufacture of CRT screens has all but disappeared. LED, LCD and plasma screen technology is now used across all manner of screens, from Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) cash points to household televisions, leaving CRT monitors and television screens all but obsolete. The digital switchover, which saw broadcasters turning off analogue signals nationwide, supported the death of CRT screens as huge numbers of people across the country threw away old television sets and replaced them with new sleeker flat screen models. CRT glass is difficult to recycle because it contains a lot of lead and therefore requires specialist equipment to recycle the components correctly and safely. So whilst CRT displays may be old technology, they are still very much in existence in our waste streams. Director, John Adams, who heads up s waste and recycling division, said the shift in technology left recyclers with a huge challenge: The option of using old CRT screens to manufacture new displays is no longer available, which resulted in huge numbers of obsolete monitors and televisions entering the waste stream. This is likely to continue for many years to come. John added that the stockpiling of CRT screens is a serious environmental issue: The lead content in CRT glass means that there are major environmental concerns related to how it is treated. Despite the introduction of new technology, the recycling industry has been left wondering what to do with the glass that is entering our waste streams, there remains a need for not only environmentally sustainable, but also cost-effective solutions, to manage the glass from old screens. Introducing a new service In response to the needs of the market, s waste and recycling division has developed a new service to assist the UK recycling industry with the growing amount of redundant CRT glass. John said: For some time now, we have been hearing from electronic recyclers who are taking in old television screens and computer monitors and have been looking for the recycling options available to them. These screens and monitors are likely to continue coming through the recycling system for some years yet and as a result, we have been investigating the sustainable recycling Recycling CRT glass This rise in flat screen technology has rapidly removed the demand for the recycled tube glass and put an end to the closed-loop recycling that existed for CRT screens. The cathode ray tube (CRT) is a vacuum tube containing one or more electron guns (a source of electrons or electron emitter) and a fluorescent screen used to view images. Recycling of this old technology was managed by the glass from old screens and monitors melted down and used in the manufacture of glass for new displays. The option of using old CRT screens to manufacture new displays is no longer available, which resulted in huge numbers of obsolete monitors and televisions entering the waste stream. options available to them. With the news of CRT glass recycling sites closing in the UK, now is the perfect time for Clarity to move into this area. Clarity can now provide a recycling service for all types of cathode ray tube glass, with collections available for either whole television sets or monitor units, or just the CRT glass. We

6 6 clearview July 2014 have developed a network of specialist hubs across the UK who safely disassemble the units and remove the tubes from the screens. Using approved routes, we are then managing the export of the glass tubes to Europe, where they will receive further processing before our European partner prepares the material and processes it into concrete structures that are used within the construction industry. Where appropriate, can also arrange for whole tubes to be exported where they will be disassembled and fully processed in Europe. John said that the team hopes to help drive costs down for many in the industry: We are always keen to develop solutions that will reduce costs for our customers. This service will not only save money for recyclers, but by providing cost-effective options for recycling CRT screens, we can also help to bring down the cost of compliance for producers. A specialism in exports Clarity has worked for many years in the export industry, building a specialism and expertise in transfrontier shipment of waste (TFS) exports. John said that this experience means this new service was a natural area for the division to move into: We are ideally placed within the industry to offer this service. Our expertise, together with the electronic systems we have developed in house, mean that our professional and transparent service is second to none. He added: We are also proud of our ethical ethos at Clarity. Our customers and partners can be sure that our CRT recycling service is transparent, meaning our customers know where the glass is going and what is going to happen to it when it arrives. would like to hear from Approved Authorised Treatment Facilities (AATFs) or designated collection facilities (DCFs) who may have, or are looking to collect CRT monitors and screens or glass. We are also keen to extend our hubs and would like to hear from anyone interested in joining our network. John concluded: Clarity s waste and recycling division has moved forward at pace in the last two years, extending the services we offer to the industry in response to the needs of the market and changing technology. We now look forward to working with electronic recyclers, hubs and our European partners to assist in the sustainable recycling of a redundant technology. Learn more If you have CRT screens that you are looking to recycle, contact on to find out more about our latest service. We are also looking to extend our network of hubs and would like to hear from anyone who can take screens and glass for recycling. We are ideally placed within the industry to offer this service. Our expertise, together with the electronic systems we have developed in house, mean that our professional and transparent service is second to none.

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8 8 clearview July 2014 Latest packaging data reveals overwhelming improvement Chris Taylor Trader The latest packaging recycling and export data was released last week, revealing an overwhelming improvement on the figures from the previous quarter. We talk to Clarity s PRN Trader, Chris Taylor and Phil Conran from 360 Environmental to find out what this could now mean for the markets in 2014.

9 July 2014 clearview 9 Q2 packaging recycling and export data The latest packaging figures, which show the amount of packaging recovered or recycled between April to June 2014, were made available on the National Packaging Waste Database last week (Tuesday 22 July 2014). The figures have been welcomed across the industry, with a surplus now showing in materials across the board. With the exception of wood, which has already met its 2014 target, every other grade has significantly surpassed the levels from the first quarter of the year. Chris Taylor, PRN trader at Clarity Environmental, said the release of the latest figures was likely to result in lower prices in some areas of the PRN markets: With glass now at 52.5% of target, plastic at 54.8% and steel at 55.6%, we can now expect to see lower prices through these PRN markets. He added that the impact of the positive results has already been felt: It s difficult to say how far prices will fall but we have already seen a downturn in large trades of glass and plastic in recent weeks as buyers waiting for the data expected a strong performance. Phil Conran of 360 Environmental said the latest packaging data was a welcome relief after the Q1 figures earlier this year and agreed that prices were likely to fall: The last quarter caused concern as to whether we would follow a similar pattern of potential shortfall as we witnessed in There is clearly going to be a surplus of PRNs across all materials this year and PRN prices must therefore fall for plastic, glass and steel. However, there must be concern that if prices go too low, it may affect recycling volumes, especially for the lower grade plastic and glass materials. We could then end up not only with a tightening market this year, but a challenge for next year s targets which increase for all three of those materials. Good news for glass In the Q1 data, glass other fell short of the 134,000 tonne obligation but these latest figures revealed good news for the glass PRN market this quarter, with it now up by almost 50%. Chris said of glass: Glass other has pulled its socks up in dramatic fashion, which is allaying the previous concerns that buyers would have to buy the more expensive re-melt PRN in order to fulfil their other obligation. This is now looking like far less of a concern than was previously thought. There is clearly going to be a surplus of PRNs across all materials this year and PRN prices must therefore fall for plastic, glass and steel. However, there must be concern that if prices go too low, it may affect recycling volumes, especially for the lower grade plastic and glass materials. In other markets, paper sits comfortably at 71.6 per cent of the national target for 2014, aluminium is on track at 51.7% and recovery lags behind on 49.1%. Any fears over the recovery figures should be allayed by the fact that, on the whole, recycling is a little ahead on 51.4% and the recovery obligation can be covered by any other grade. Find out more Clarity has been buying and selling packaging recovery notes (PRNs) since our business started in We are now one of the largest and most experienced open market traders of PRNs. To talk to us about buying or selling any grade of packaging recovery note (PRN), contact our team on

10 10 clearview July 2014 Catch up on the latest news Look out for our new website Earlier this year, we announced that we were overhauling our website to refresh the design, improve navigation and increase content. This has been an important project for us in 2014 and we are now making finishing touches before we launch to the outside world. We can t wait to share the new site with you, which we are confident will mean our visitors get what they need from our website each time they visit. The new site has also been optimised for mobile devices, so whether you are using a laptop, phone or tablet, you will always get the best from our site. We d love to know what you think when we launch. And for now, here s a sneak preview of our new homepage. Stay in touch Be the first to hear our news by staying connected with Clarity Environmental.

11 July 2014 clearview 11 Tougher sentences for waste crimes Sentences for serious waste offences are likely to get tougher in England and Wales, with new guidelines introduced this month. Issued by the sentencing council, the Guideline is likely to lead to larger fines for serious offenders, while ensuring a consistent approach across England and Wales. Courts have been told to determine fines for businesses and organisations on a sliding scale, with the most serious offences, including mishandling of hazardous or chemical waste, or those resulting in major clean-up costs, facing the largest fines. EA issues reminder to waste exporters The Environment Agency (EA) is reminding waste exporters that they risk prosecution if they fail to check that the destination of material can lawfully receive their shipment, or if they do not fully complete Annex VII export forms. The awareness campaign to highlight the legal requirements for those exporting waste overseas, follows concerns from authorities in some countries that poor quality material is being exported to facilities not authorised to accept it. Annex VII forms require exporters to detail material being shipped, where it originated and which facility it is being shipped to. The EA has written to exporters, producers, collectors and importers of waste with instructions on the Transfrontier Shipment (TFS) Regulation requirements. Carrier bag rise for UK shoppers Figures published by WRAP have shown the number of thin-gauge single-use carrier bags used by UK supermarket customers rose to 8.3bn in This is a 3.2 per cent rise from 2012 and the fourth year running that figures have increased. In Northern Ireland, however, 71 per cent less bags were used at supermarkets between 2012 and 2013, which is thought to be as a result of the introduction of the carrier bag charge. A 5p plastic bag levy is set to be introduced in Scotland this year and England in 2015.

12 12 clearview July 2014 Clarity tackles compliance cost concerns David Adams Managing Director Compliance bills have reportedly increased, with small businesses being hit the hardest. At we are committed to reducing the costs for our compliance scheme members. Managing Director, David Adams, explains how our schemes help to reduce both the financial and administrational burden for businesses.

13 July 2014 clearview 13 Small businesses concerned by compliance costs The Forum of Private Business (FPB) has released research that reports compliance bills have increased, costing businesses a total of 19.2bn a year, which is a 4 per cent increase compared to The forum states that businesses with less than 9 employees are hit the hardest, with a bill of 164 per employee, which is seven times more than the cost for larger companies. Taxation, employment law and health and safety are cited as the three biggest outlays. Compliance costs less with Clarity operates schemes that help businesses comply with the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and packaging regulations. And whilst environmental compliance may not be causing the biggest concern for businesses, Clarity s Managing Director, David Adams, says the team has long been committed to providing economically focused schemes. We are aware of the financial burden for small businesses and and have always strived to offer some of the lowest compliance charges in the industry, which in turn has often lead competitors to follow suit. The government has been criticised for underestimating the impact of regulation and it is vital that measures are taken to support small businesses and reduce the burden of regulation. But it is also important for compliance scheme operators to take note and design their schemes with small businesses in mind. We believe it is possible to deliver low-cost compliance, whilst still offering second-to-none support and the highest quality of service. The burden of compliance is not only financial. Of those surveyed, 40 per cent of businesses said the time needed to understand and implement new compliance measures has the most significant impact on their day-to-day operations, using precious staff time and resulting in lost opportunities. David says he sees it as part of the service to reduce the time members spend on understanding and implementing the regulations: We offer full and continued support, helping our members understand their initial responsibilities and then any future changes in regulations. Our scheme is also backed up by one of the most powerful and functional websites in the industry, which has been designed with our members in mind, ensuring they can carry out their administrational tasks with ease and are left with more time to spend on other important areas of their business. Keeping costs low for our members We work hard to offer our members the lowest prices possible and have a range of unique benefits that allow us to do so: With our own team of traders, the volumes of Packaging Recovery Notes (PRNs) we handle far outnumber our own obligation, giving us the flexibility to maximise savings on behalf of our packaging compliance members. Our scheme offers its members some of the lowest priced PRNs available. Our Recycle with Clarity WEEE recycling initiative means we can get the best prices possible for our members WEEE obligations. With Clarity there are no hidden costs. We offer transparency and straightforward contracts with no hidden extras. We understand that some members want simple, no frills compliance and we offer a range of flexible options that will suit the budgets and needs of all of our members. Learn more Clarity operates flexible, cost-effective and low risk compliance schemes helping businesses to comply with the WEEE and packaging regulations. Contact Clarity s compliance team on for further information.

14 14 clearview July 2014 FAQs: Packaging Compliance Martin Trigg-Knight Account Manager How do I identify my business activities for packaging? As a packaging producer, it is essential that you correctly identify the packaging activities you carry out to ensure you have accurate data collection and that your data form is completed correctly. Under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations, there are four main activities involved in the manufacture of packaging, each with a different percentage responsibility. These activities are listed on the data form and producers will have to account for the relevant percentages on each of the activities. Whilst your main activity is likely to be obvious, many producers carry out a number of activities, all of which have to be monitored, captured and reported. Raw Material means the manufacturing of raw materials for packaging. Conversion means the con- verting of raw materials into packaging. Pack/Fill means putting goods or products into packaging. Seller means selling packaging goods to the final user. Handling means you carry out one or more of the activities listed above or have these activities carried out on your behalf, you own the packaging on which the activities are carried out or supply packaging or packaging materials at any stage in the chain or to the final user of the packaging. In addition to the activities above, you should also consider others, such as: Importer - packaging and packaging materials directly imported by the obligated business into the UK. Exporter - packaging han- dled that is exported by the business or a third party. Service provider hire out or lease packaging for use by other parties. End user the party who discards the packaging. As a packaging producer, you should implement a flow diagram that illustrates what you do as a business, which will then enable you to identify the activities you perform. If you need any further clarification about packaging materials and your packaging obligation, a member of our team would be happy to help.

15 July 2014 clearview 15 Learn more Clarity s user-friendly packaging compliance scheme gives members a wide choice of flexible options tailored to their business needs. Contact Clarity s packaging compliance team on for further information about registering as a packaging producer or the purchasing of PRNs.

16 16 clearview July 2014 FAQs: WEEE Compliance Hayley Bosworth Quality & Data Manager Can you tell me why I need to submit quarterly WEEE data? If you are a producer under the UK Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations, one of your legal obligations is to keep accurate records of the types and quantity of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) you put onto the UK market. For household EEE, you must submit this data every quarter, which is used to calculate your financial responsibility for treating and recycling household waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Your producer compliance scheme passes the data to the appropriate environment agency. If you do not submit your quarterly data on time, producer compliance schemes, such as Clarity s, are asked by the Environment Agency to estimate the EEE data for that quarter. If you or your compliance scheme submits an estimate, it must be reported as such and the Environment Agency will require accurate data as soon as possible. The data should be reported in tonnes to three decimal places. If you fail to submit accurate data, you are breaching the Regulations (under regulation 28) and if you are a member of Clarity s compliance scheme, you are also in breach of the contract you signed with us (section 5.2). You should have already submitted your Quarter 2 EEE data for 2014 last week. The deadline to submit your next quarterly data, covering July to September, is 20 October Clarity makes data submission as quick and easy as possible for its WEEE compliance members. Our members benefit from an easy to use online WEEE members area and we have also developed an optional system, called Data Plus, which eases the burden of quarterly submissions by providing our members with their own data collection service, which can save man hours each quarter. If you are a member of Clarity s WEEE compliance scheme and have any questions about your quarterly data submission, or would like to discuss our Data Plus system, contact a member of our team on

17 July 2014 clearview 17 Learn more Clarity s low cost WEEE compliance scheme is one of the fastest growing compliance schemes in the UK, offering a full range of services to producers and business end-users. Contact our team on for further information about registering as a WEEE producer.

18 18 clearview July 2014 PRN Market Report: Material Analysis Chris Taylor Trader July has seen a continued stand-off in the glass and plastic markets and whilst some tonnages have traded, we haven t seen the volumes of previous months. Sellers believed the Q2 reprocessing and export data would show strong numbers for glass and plastic, and to some extent steel, and have held off purchasing tonnage for this reason. This has proven to be a prudent decision by buyers, as the Q2 figures are strong and prices are expected to soften further. Buyers and suppliers for the most part are still jostling for a spot price that leaves both happy and once this is reached, we expect the flood gates to open and significant tonnages to be traded in glass, plastic and steel. In focus: Steel In recent months, all the talk of the PRN market has been about glass and plastic, but just as significantly, in quarter two, steel has seen a performance so large that the grade has moved from being well behind its target in Q1 to well beyond its target in Q2. We expect that this change in performance is as a result of the lack of steel can movements in Q1, which have subsequently picked up again in more recent months.

19 July 2014 clearview 19 Material 2014 Price Range ( ) Aluminium Paper Plastic Steel Material 2014 Price Range ( ) Wood Recovery Glass (Other) Glass (Remelt) Spot Trading Forward Trading Aluminium Paper Plastic Steel Wood Recovery Glass (Other) Glass (Remelt) PRN Certificate Delivery Percentage PRN Tonnage Delivery Percentage Early % On Time % Late %

20 20 clearview July 2014 Metals Update Philip Honcoop Trading Director Lead acid update As is usual for this time of year, the lead acid battery market is relatively slow and with low supplies entering the market. The price of batteries has been going up steadily from May, June and into July but, since mid-july, the prices have jumped a little higher. Whilst the World Bureau of Metal Statistics has reported that the lead market was in deficit by 41,000 tonnes from January to April, this year s prices have not reflected this deficit, which is said to be due to reduced global demand. The largest demand source is, however, from both new build and replacement batteries. Clarity s battery trading team offers a prompt, reliable and cost effective. UK-wide collection service. If you would like to trade scrap batteries with Clarity, call us on option 1. Lead acid batteries / Tonne

21 July 2014 clearview 21 Catalytic converter update The South African miners strike may have ended in June, but it is likely to take several months for the mines to reach their former capacity. The strike halted production at several mines for five months, so with the market faced with potentially dwindling supplies in the aftermath of the strike, palladium prices reportedly hit a 13-year high this month. In other markets, gold, which tends to enjoy gains during times of political and economic instability, is balancing between a stronger outlook for the U.S. economy and the current conflicts in Ukraine, Israel and Iraq. There is talk that gold prices could experience a drop next week if upbeat data is reported from the US, where economic activity has reportedly picked up. Clarity offers on-site grading for catalytic converters, allowing us to make fast price negotiations and transactions. Book your evaluation with us today by calling

22 22 clearview July 2014 Get in touch, stay connected We are specialists in environmental compliance, recycling and waste management. Contact a member of our team to find out more about the services we provide and how we can help your business. Phone info@clarity.eu.com Fax Web Office 9 & 10 Hunns Mere Way, Woodingdean Business Park, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 6AH, England

23 July 2014 clearview 23 Lucy Brooks Editor David Adams Managing Director John Adams Director Philip Honcoop Trading Director Karen Bird Operations Manager Vikkie Fitzgerald Project Manager Hayley Bosworth Quality & Data Manager Lorraine Hill Office Manager Martin Trigg-Knight Account Manager Chris Taylor Trader Ian Roberts Trader Aiden Hill Junior Trader Neil Drew Business Development Executive Charlotte Heather Business Development Executive

24 RWM 16 to 18 September Find us at stand 4J55. Come and meet the Clarity team and find out about our range of environmental compliance, waste and recycling services. Make the clear choice. Learn more Call us on us on clarity