European Metal Recycling

Simpler Recycling: Helping Your Business Stay Compliant

European Metal Recycling — 02/06/2025

The arrival of Simpler Recycling regulations offers businesses large and small an opportunity to reduce waste collection costs, improve recycling rates and support the circular economy. By making small but important changes to the way they separate and dispose of the recyclable waste they present for collection from their premises, every business can play its part in a more resilient future.

From April 2025, businesses with more than 10 full-time employees are now legally required to separate dry recyclable materials (including paper, cardboard, glass and metal) as well as food waste from their general waste.

This change is expected to significantly improve both the quantity and quality of material presented for recycling, accelerating the UK’s ambitious goal of recycling 65% of municipal waste by 2035. By March 2026, similar requirements will apply to households too.

The legislation encourages waste separation at source, avoiding contamination that can lower the value and recyclability of materials – especially when food waste is mixed in. High-quality recycling starts with you, and a simple rule of thumb can help: will this item reduce the recyclability of everything else in the bin?

If the answer is yes – especially for food, soiled packaging, or glass – it's best to separate it. Clean, well-sorted materials are far more valuable and easier to process. After all, in the circular economy, someone else will be using the materials you send for recycling. Would you want to buy dirty, mixed waste materials – or would you prefer clean, sorted materials?

While exact collection methods may vary, dependent on your collection service, most businesses will need to separate their waste materials into different bins:

Residual waste
Food
Glass
Mixed dry recycling (card, paper, plastic, metals)

Packaging covered in food, while not explicitly covered by the legislation, should be cleaned before disposal to avoid contamination and support higher-quality recycling outputs.

By improving waste segregation, businesses not only contribute to environmental targets, but they can also lower disposal costs by reducing the amount of general waste sent to landfill or incineration.

Confused? EMR can help.

At EMR, we understand that change can raise questions and that adapting to new waste regulations takes time. With more than 60 sites across the UK and decades of experience, we’re here to make the transition as smooth as possible.

Our team can conduct a business recycling audit to help you:

Identify opportunities to reduce waste at source
Improve material quality through better segregation
Educate teams on correct recycling practices
Ensure full compliance with Simpler Recycling legislation
Reduce collection and disposal costs
Whether you’re just starting to adapt to the new regulations or looking to fine-tune your recycling systems, EMR’s experts are here to help.

EMR Recognised As A Great Place To Work® For The Third Year Running

European Metal Recycling — 07/10/2025

EMR, a global leader in sustainable materials, has been certified as a Great Place To Work® for the third year running, reflecting the company’s commitment to building a safe, inclusive and purpose-driven workplace across its operations in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany and the Netherlands.

In addition, EMR’s UK operations have been recognised as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces™ in Manufacturing, Production & Transportation 2025, further demonstrating the company’s success in building a positive culture within a complex, industrial environment.

Chris Sheppard, Group CEO at EMR, said: “To achieve Great Place To Work® certification for three consecutive years is a fantastic milestone in itself, but to also be named among the UK’s Best Workplaces in Manufacturing, Production & Transportation is something we’re incredibly proud of. These recognitions demonstrate the value of listening to our people and investing in a culture where safety, opportunity and purpose go hand in hand.”

For EMR, purpose is central to the employee experience. Every colleague contributes directly to the circular economy - giving materials new life, reducing waste and helping to protect the planet for future generations.

The Great Place To Work® framework provides EMR with a consistent, independent way to hear from colleagues across the business. These insights have enabled the company to set meaningful goals, strengthen trust and create a workplace where people feel empowered to thrive.

“This recognition is especially important because it comes directly from our people,” added Chris. “Their feedback is helping to shape the future of EMR, and we’ll continue to listen, learn and build on this success as we grow.”

Why The Automotive Industry Needs Strategic Recycling Partners Now More Than Ever

European Metal Recycling — 02/10/2025

Patrick Davison, EMR Director of Sustainability has published a new though leadership piece on how EMR can be the strategic partner of choice for the automotive industry.

With their large quantities of high-quality metals and plastics, it’s little surprise that boosting the reuse and recycling rates of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) has become a priority for car makers (OEMs) and policymakers alike.

And, as demand for greater circularity and sustainability has grown, a culture of investment and innovation has enabled EMR – one of Europe’s largest ELV recyclers – to offer practical and effective solutions to the whole value supply chain.

With the European Council and European Parliament setting out their proposed updates to the ELV Directive in June, this approach is particularly timely. The Council’s agreed measures include:

Mandatory use of recycled plastic content in new vehicles, covering both open and closed loop applications
Expanded scope to require trucks, motorcycles, quadricycles, and special-purpose vehicles to meet the same circularity standards as passenger cars and vans
Stronger vehicle export rules to prevent the illegal shipment of end-of-life vehicles, ensuring only roadworthy vehicles leave the EU
A strengthened Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme, placing full financial responsibility for end-of-life management on producers – even when vehicles become untraceable

Following input from its Environment and Internal Market Committees, the European Parliament adopted further measures:

the new rules cover the entire vehicle lifecycle – from design to final end-of-life treatment
new vehicles must be designed to allow the easy removal of parts and components wherever possible.

While a small number of other differences exist between the Council and Parliament’s positions, the direction of travel is clear.

Although the emergence of high-performance electric vehicles (EVs) highlights the industry’s long-term commitment to the green transition, these changes will create challenges for OEMs and their partners. So how can EMR help?

Firstly, EMR has been busy developing a range of processes and technologies that will boost the recycling rates of end-of-life vehicles. As the recyclability of a vehicle is defined by its design, EMR has been holding ‘circularity labs’ for design teams and engineers at some of Europe’s biggest OEMs. Simple changes - for example, to the amount of glue used to hold a component in place - can make a dramatic difference to how efficiently and effectively a vehicle can be dismantled at end-of-life.

At EMR Hamburg, meanwhile, we’ve developed an intelligent analysis process for assessing used EV batteries’ viability for use in a new vehicle or for energy storage. If neither option is possible, EMR safeguards the valuable materials within by recycling – reducing the demand for the nature-depleting mining of virgin materials and boosting Europe’s resource security.

And, from establishing a recycling service for the plastics in car bumpers with Jaguar Land Rover and Polestar (via EMR’s plastics recycling arm MBA Polymers UK) to its recently-announced collaboration with other partners in CirculaREEconomy – a project which will develop a circular economy for rare-earth magnets – EMR is championing a wide range of solutions to help OEMs achieve compliance with the ELV Directive.

With its strong links across the industry and decades of expertise in the ELV recycling sector, EMR is well placed to identify areas of concern – and to share these with policymakers.

Technical requirements proposed in the legislation – such as limits to the amount of copper permitted in recycled steel and mandating the cast/wrought separation of aluminium – currently fail to reflect modern recycled metal content and may lock recycled materials out of the next generation of processing technologies. EMR and its partners are developing other technical solutions which can achieve the same circularity objective at lower carbon impact and cost.

Meanwhile, proposed rules on shredder residue thresholds, limiting residual metal and organics to <1% and <5%, respectively, may be technically unachievable.

EMR’s leadership in this industry means it can stand alongside bodies such as the European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC) and make the case that, if implemented too rigidly, such quality thresholds risk discouraging investment, complicating operations, and not delivering environmental benefits.

None of this should distract from the fact that the path forward for the automotive industry is now clearer than ever. And if companies at any stage of the supply chain want to build circularity into their operations, EMR has a suite of solutions – developed alongside industry partners – to meet the moment.

The Importance Of Recycling WEEE Correctly

European Metal Recycling — 29/10/2025

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)- anything with a plug, cable or battery that has reached the end of its life - is now the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. The UN estimates that more than 62 million tonnes of electrical waste (e-waste) are generated globally each year.

Many people assume that recyclers or councils can simply separate WEEE from general waste – but once it’s mixed in, recovery becomes almost impossible - and the negative impacts of this misinformation might be greater than you think.

THE COST TO THE PLANET

When WEEE isn’t recycled, we rely on mining for virgin resources - a process that drives carbon emissions, deforestation and biodiversity loss.

Your old electrical and electronic equipment contains valuable metals and materials including platinum, nickel, cobalt, lithium and other rare elements. Many of these materials are sourced from limited regions, making supply chains vulnerable to disruption and environmental harm.

Recycling helps reduce this pressure. For example, wires and cables provide a valuable source of copper - and recycling copper uses up to 85% less energy than mining new material, making it both cleaner and more cost-effective.

THE DANGER TO YOUR COMMUNITY – AND YOU

Incorrectly disposing of WEEE can cause harm much closer to home. Items that end up in landfill can release lead, mercury and other toxic substances into the soil and water. Lithium-ion batteries - found in everything from electric toothbrushes to laptops - can also ignite if damaged or punctured.

To help prevent fires across the waste industry, the public are urged to dispose of batteries and small tech items at designated battery collection points - such as retailers, supermarkets or local recycling centres - and never in household bins.

By recycling these materials correctly, you help approved recycling centres to follow the strict safety standards and proactive processes that are in place to prevent both fires and hazardous materials getting into our environment.

EMR MAKES WEEE RECYCLING SIMPLE

At EMR, we are proud to operate the UK’s largest collection and treatment network for WEEE.

Our teams and partner network ensure that metals, plastics and other critical materials are recovered safely and returned to manufacturers. This supports a truly circular economy and offers customers a fair return for their material.

It’s why so many councils, businesses and individuals trust EMR to manage their small mixed WEEE and large domestic appliances (LDAs) responsibly, giving customers a reliable and sustainable way to recycle.

EMR Supports Veterans into Logistics

European Metal Recycling — 06/05/2025

EMR has donated a 12-tonne lorry to Veterans into Logistics, the not-for-profit organisation that provides HGV training, followed by employment opportunities, to place veterans into well-paid driving careers.

The vehicle was handed over to the charity on 16 January at EMR’s Salford facility, at a ceremony attended by the Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, as well as EMR’s senior leadership team.

Founded in 2020, Veterans into Logistics aims to reduce unemployment amongst the ex-military community through HGV training. The charity helps veterans complete the required training with advice, funding and mentorship available.

EMR is already a large employer of former military personnel, with more than 10% of its drivers and other key staff coming from a military background, bringing valuable skills such as discipline, teamwork, and adaptability to their roles.

The donation of the vehicle by EMR will enable Veterans into Logistics to train dozens of veterans. EMR will also become a platinum sponsor of the charity, providing employment opportunities to those who complete training.

The partnership forms part of EMR’s social value strategy, which looks at how we can provide the right support to the right people, so that our communities can combat their biggest challenges: crime, unemployment and lack of education. We’ve carefully chosen our focus areas to help the people within our communities build a better today, while educating, inspiring and equipping them for a better tomorrow.

Factory Tour at EMR: Where Battery Recovery Meets Yard-Scale Processing

European Metal Recycling — 10/04/2026

Some factory tours leave a lasting impression because they open up a part of industry that usually remains out of sight. That was certainly the feeling at EMR in Birmingham, where Made in Group members gathered to explore a part of manufacturing few businesses ever get to see up close - what happens when electrification reaches the other end of the lifecycle.

The morning also offered valuable time for networking, bringing together members from across the Made regions to share perspectives, make connections and explore a challenge that is becoming increasingly relevant across UK manufacturing.

This was not a tour about scrap in the traditional sense. It was a tour about recovery, responsibility and the systems now being built around both.

Networking before the tour began, as members from across the Made regions connected over coffee at EMR.

A morning grounded in real industry questions

Jason Pitt, CEO of Made in Group, opened the visit by placing the day in a wider industrial context. Despite the noise surrounding the economy, he pointed to a more encouraging signal from the shop floor, noting that UK manufacturing had now recorded six consecutive months of growth. From there, he turned to the real theme of the day - the "urban mine" - and the growing importance of recovering the materials that already exist within the economy.

That framing mattered because the room itself reflected just how relevant the subject has become. In attendance were manufacturers, suppliers and specialists already thinking about electrification, storage, end-of-life and energy use in their own businesses. During introductions, Tim Hobbs, Technical Director at OE Electrics, summed it up neatly: "We started in AC power, we now do DC power which involves lots of batteries and I'm interested to see how those are recycled for my customers."

It was a simple line, but it captured the mood perfectly. This was not passive interest. The subject was already moving closer to members' own operations.

Following the round-robin introductions, Helen Waters, Commercial Director for End-of-Life Vehicles and EV Batteries at EMR, set the scene for the Factory Tour and the wider conversation around battery recovery.

From scrap to responsibility

Helen Waters, EMR's Commercial Director for End-of-Life Vehicles and EV Batteries, gave the day its real frame.

She explained that EMR handles around 10 million tonnes of material each year across roughly 60 UK sites, with the Birmingham battery centre focused on one of the fastest-moving areas in modern industry. Though the facility is only around three years old, it already sits at the centre of a much bigger shift.

"It's actually material that needs to be recycled," she said. "You have producer responsibilities that say you have to do that."

That line cut through the softer language that often surrounds sustainability. Helen did not speak about recycling as a side issue or a tidy-up job for later. She pushed the question back to the start of the chain.

"What are you designing today that will need to be recycled?"

It was exactly the right challenge for the room. Products may leave the factory in perfect condition, but someone still has to deal with them 10 or 15 years later. The decisions made at the beginning shape the cost, complexity and recoverable value at the end.

Helen also made clear that EMR is not simply reacting to what arrives at the gate. The business is working with universities, government and industry bodies to understand what the future of battery recovery will require. That gave the site a different feel. It did not feel like a static operation. It felt like a working response to a live industrial question.

Inside the battery centre

The battery facility immediately challenged expectations.

It did not feel chaotic. It felt controlled.

Guided by Andrew Spencer, General Manager of EV Battery Recycling at EMR, members were given an up-close view of the systems and disciplines behind safe battery handling. Before a battery even enters the building, EMR triages it by condition. Higher-risk units go into red-labelled containers fitted with fire suppression, gas monitoring and temperature control. Thermal imaging watches the yard for signs of trouble, and the team can respond quickly if something starts to change.

That sense of control continued inside.

One of the strongest lines of the morning came as Andrew walked members through the process: "With a battery, it doesn't just store energy."

That simple point opened up the real complexity of what sat in front of the group. A battery pack also contains electronics, cooling systems and power management systems. It arrives not as one object, but as a tightly managed system layered with both risk and value.

Andrew Spencer, General Manager of EV Battery Recycling at EMR, leads members through the battery facility, explaining the processes and controls behind safe battery recovery.

Forensic engineering in action

The discharge pod was one of the most revealing stops on the tour.

Here, members saw a Nissan Leaf battery being monitored through EMR's own in-house hardware and software, with live data visible on a phone while one of EMR's technicians connected the pack to the discharge equipment. Before dismantling begins, the team removes the energy safely and feeds it back into the grid.

"The main part of this pod is to neutralise the energy," Andrew explained.

That moment shifted the whole idea of recycling into something much more precise. This did not look like disposal. It looked like forensic engineering.

Once discharged, the work slows down even further. Modules are separated, components are weighed, photographs are taken and processes are documented. EMR is not simply taking batteries apart. It is building knowledge from every single one that comes through the facility.

That knowledge matters. It feeds directly into commercial judgement - what is worth recovering, where the value sits, how long removal takes, and what route makes sense for each component. The team spoke openly about off-take routes, break-even points and the value hidden in parts that could easily be overlooked.

As Andrew explained, a battery is far more than the chemical material inside it. It is a complete engineered system, with multiple components, materials and recovery routes.

Again, the point carried more than it first seemed to. The opportunity does not sit only in lithium, nickel or cobalt. It sits in understanding the wider architecture around those materials and recovering value with precision rather than assumption.

The tour also underlined how quickly this part of the sector is evolving. As battery volumes increase and recovery pathways continue to develop, EMR is already investing in the expertise, processes and long-term capability needed to stay ahead. With ambitions to bring even more of the process in house over time, the business is helping shape the next phase of battery recovery in the UK.

Inside the battery centre, EMR’s team demonstrated the handling environment and controls used to support safe battery recovery.

From battery centre to yard-scale processing

If the battery centre is about precision, the main yard is about force.

Here, the visit shifted gear completely.

Members moved out to the shredder side of the operation, where the scale of EMR's work became impossible to ignore. Led by Oliver Latham - General Manager, EMR Birmingham, the group stepped into a very different environment - one dominated by cranes, feed systems and the constant movement of material across the site. At the centre of it all stood EMR's 6,000-horsepower shredder.

But even here, what stood out was not just the machinery - it was the skill and decision-making behind it.

Out in the yard, Oliver Latham, General Manager, EMR Birmingham talks members through EMR’s large-scale processing environment and the realities of material recovery at volume.

Oliver talked members through hammers, grid sizes, feed mix and foreign objects with the confidence of someone who knows exactly how expensive small mistakes can become. "A lot of it's judged on tonnes," he said, explaining how the team balances throughput against wear, energy use and output quality.

He then brought that balance to life with one of the day's most memorable phrases. Pre-shredding, he explained, helps create a "fluffy product", giving the site "more throughput and less energy consumption".

It was a practical phrase, grounded in the realities of the yard, and it made the point immediately clear.

Even at this scale, performance still comes down to flow, feel and constant adjustment. A foreign object that slips through inspections can damage hammers, interrupt output and create unnecessary cost. Throughput depends not just on horsepower, but on discipline, sequencing and operational awareness.

The numbers gave that balancing act real weight. The team described a target of around 220 tonnes an hour through the shredder, with the site processing around 1,700 tonnes a day. Yet the figures never felt like showmanship. They felt like live operational targets - the kind any manufacturer in the room would recognise immediately.

Members step into EMR’s yard to see recovery at scale, where processed material moves through the site’s wider industrial operation.

What stayed with members

By the time the group looped back, the value of the visit had become clear.

EMR had not simply shown members an unusual facility. It had made visible a part of modern manufacturing that often stays out of sight. Once you see the end of the chain properly, it becomes much harder to think about design, materials and compliance in the same old way.

That was the quiet strength of the morning.

EMR turned battery recycling from a vague future talking point into something concrete - an industrial capability, a safety challenge, a commercial calculation and, increasingly, a competitive one. As Helen put it, the work is no longer only about the material "coming out today", but about "what's actually going to happen in the future".

For manufacturers navigating electrification, regulation and supply pressure at the same time, that matters.

EMR is not just dealing with what comes off the road. It is helping define what responsible industrial recovery looks like while the rules, technologies and volumes are still evolving.

And that was the real value of the tour. It showed that end of life is no longer the end of the story.

It is fast becoming one of the most important parts of it.