Introduction to Health and Safety

1
Identification, quantification and handling of
wood packaging materials
Training programme to support the protocol for
the verification of wood packaging recycling

2
Aims

• This training session will enable participants
  to
• Identify wood packaging
• Quantify the packaging content of incoming loads
  in a consistent manner

3
Driving forces

• We need the training to comply with
• National protocol on wooden packaging
• Waste legislation
• The packaging regulations
• Independent auditing standards

4
Legislation

• Duty of care requirement for all waste streams
• Transfer note for each customer
• Annually or for each trip
• Specifies information such as the producer,
  container, carrier and European Waste Code
• Customer contract specifies acceptable materials
• Price is determined by quality of material
• Therefore, we must check incoming load quality

5
The Producer Responsibility Obligations
(Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997

• Regime to increase the amount of packaging
  recycling in the UK
• Certain packaging users must fund the recycling
  of a percentage of their packaging
• Packaging recovery notes (PRNs) provide evidence
  of recycling

6
Packaging recovery notes

• Issued by accredited packaging reprocessors in
  respect of each tonne of packaging material
  recovered
• May only be issued in respect of packaging
• PRNs have a market value, e.g. 2 to 30
• Accredited reprocessors ( their suppliers) must
  distinguish between packaging and non-packaging
• Reuse
• Recycling

7
Legislation summary

• Our company must
• Record the amount of wood waste received
• Ensure transfer notes are generated for each
  customer
• Ensure transfer note matches the content of the
  load
• Ensure the European Waste Code is correct
• Identify the proportion of wood packaging
• Separate out any difficult wood waste such as
  treated timber, sleepers and telegraph poles

8
Benefits

• For the company
• Compliance with legislation and best practice
• Accurate identification and quantification of
  wooden packaging
• Cost savings paying for the right material
• For you
• Recognition of your skills
• Certificate of completion

9
Consequences of mistakes

• Incorrect classification of packaging /
  non-packaging may lead to
• Prosecution by regulator (Environment Agency or
  Scottish Environment Protection Agency)
• Loss of accredited reprocessor status
• Loss of PRN revenue
• Loss of confidence in wood recycling
• Loss of jobs

10
Wood identification

• Three main types of wood, e.g.
• Softwood
• Hardwood
• Board material
• Also
• Treated timber

11
Softwood

• From trees such as pine, fir and spruce
• Cheaper and less dense (heavy) than hardwood
• Normally used for wood packaging such as pallets,
  crates and reels

12
Hardwood

• From trees such as beech, ash, oak, mahogany and
  teak
• Longer lasting, denser more expensive than
  softwood
• Not normally used for packaging, though may be
  incorporated in imported single trip pallets

13
Board material

• Board made of wood particles e.g. chipboard,
  melamine faced chipboard (MFC) medium density
  fibreboard (MDF)
• Mainly used for manufacture of products such as
  furniture
• May be used for packaging e.g. cover boards,
  bearers reformed pallets

14
Board material 2
15
Treated timber

• Treated timber contains hazardous preservative
  compounds, e.g. CCA (copper, chrome arsenic)
• Rarely used on packaging but may be present on
  products such as
• Telegraph poles
• Sleepers
• Some fencing
• Construction demolition waste
• Treated wood must be removed and dealt with
  separately

16
Types of wooden packaging

• Pallets pallet components
• Cable drums reels
• Boxes, cases crates used for the protection of
  goods e.g. machinery, parts
• Vegetable crates fruit trays
• Slats for reinforced packaging
• Barrels for liquid goods e.g. whisky
• Wood chip used as filling for the protection of
  goods in containers
• Presentation boxes e.g. cigars
• Stillages, dunnage skids
• Cover boards bearer boards

17
Wooden packaging
18
Wooden non-packaging

• Forestry or timber waste
• Furniture fitted units e.g. kitchens
• Fencing wooden structures e.g. sheds
• Window frames, doors other structural timber
  e.g. planking, beams, flooring
• Residues from timber using industries e.g.
  furniture making
• Boards signs
• Boats

19
Wooden non-packaging
20
Practice slide 1
21
Practice slide 2
22
Practice slide 3
23
Practice slide 4
24
Practice slide 5
25
Importance of source

• Two identical pieces of softwood
• Piece 1
• Part of a broken pallet
• Received from a used pallet collector
• Packaging waste
• Piece 2
• Process off-cut
• Received from door manufacturer
• Not packaging

26
Summary

• Packaging Recovery Notes demonstrate that
  recycling and recovery has occurred
• Can only be issued in respect of packaging waste
• Can only be issued by accredited reprocessors
• Accredited reprocessors are legally required to
  keep accurate records
• Wood waste types softwood, hardwood, board and
  treated
• Source of material is an important factor in
  deciding whether a piece of wood is packaging

27
Quantification

• Easy if load is 0 or 100 packaging
• packaging must be estimated for mixed loads
• Percentages
• Represents number as a proportion of 100
• E.g. if a sample represents half it equals 50
• Allows estimated packaging to be applied to
  actual weight of a load
• Estimate to nearest 10
• Consider splitting the wood pile into 10 segments
  to estimate

28
Quantification
29
Quantification questions

• A load consists of 3 equal parts process
  off-cuts, pallets and bearers. What percentage
  can be claimed as packaging for recycling?
• If a load consists of 30 pallets which go for
  reuse and 20 damaged ones (for recycling), what
  percentage of the load is recycled?

30
Quantification issues

• Densities vary between materials i.e. a similar
  sized block will weigh different amounts
• Different products have different air gaps, e.g.
  uncrushed vegetable crates will contain massive
  air gaps unlike a stack of cover boards
• Therefore, we must make estimates based on the
  relative densities of packaging and non-packaging
  wood

31
Quantification load 1
32
Quantification load 2
33
Quantification load 3
34
Procedure for identifying packaging waste

• Material enters over weighbridge
• Quick visual inspection
• Accept or reject
• Generate transfer note for unscheduled loads
• Tipped
• Manually inspected and assessed
• Packaging percentage estimated and recorded

35
Inspection and assessment

• Review source and typical packaging range
• Conduct a visual inspection
• Segregate items suitable for reuse, e.g. whole
  pallets
• Segregate contaminants and different grades of
  wood

36
Inspection and assessment

• Use vehicles to spread load
• Evaluate the proportion of packaging
• Evaluation the relative densities and air gaps in
  packaging / non-packaging material
• Estimate and record the packaging percentage

37
Reporting form

• Reporting forms vary with company
• Will typically include the following headings

38
Summary

• Estimate packaging content to the nearest 10
• Information on the source of the material is
  vital
• Consider density and air gaps
• Specific procedure to receive consignments
• Reporting forms must be used to record the
  packaging