Biowaste Recovery Ltd

Regulatory Background

The EU published, in 2002, new rules for treatment of animal by-products not intended for human consumption (EC1774/2002), which were amended later by EC808/2003. The UK government implemented these directives in England as the Animal By-products Regulations SI 2003/1482, amended later by SI2005/2347. Similar regulations exist in Scotland and Wales.

These rules prescribe how animal by-products must be processed, and what recording and testing are necessary to support the actions taken. The regulatory definition of ‘animal by-products’ is very wide. Care should be taken to ensure the correct categorisation of waste, as penalties are high if the correct procedures are ignored.

Both UK and EC Regulations state that one acceptable treatment is to achieve a residence time of at least 1 hour at a minimum temperature of 70°C, which is considered sufficient to destroy pathogens.

Extensive stipulations are made about the premises suitable for these treatments, the qualifications that operators must hold, the records that are to be kept, and the finance that the operators must provide. Strict legislation ensures the legal handling and disposal of wastes, and to protect people, animals and the environment.

Various licences and permits are needed for the legal operation of such a plant: The Environment Agency Waste Management Licence; COTC and DEFRA Animal By-product Treatment Licence. Therefore, often it is impracticable for food manufacturers to deal with their own waste.

BRL believes that it has the best economic and environmental solutions of the available processes.