New European Standards will boost demand for recycled aggregates

The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is predicting that the changeover from British Standards to European Standards for aggregates, due to be completed by 1 June 2004, will significantly increase demand for recycled and secondary aggregates.

The new Standards allow for the use of recycled and secondary aggregates in more high value applications than the British Standards they replace. They will also allow CE marking which is important because the EU's Public Procurement Directive permits only CE products to be purchased with public money.

Other changes arising from the new Standards will be new grading terminology and new sieve sizes so aggregates will have to be asked for in a different way. A new 'flakiness' test and a new index of test results will also be introduced - so buyers will need to specify a different flakiness index for aggregates.

John Barritt, WRAP's aggregates technical adviser, said: "The introduction of the new European Standards will be the biggest thing to happen to the aggregates industry for many years.

"Buyers, specifiers and suppliers will have to get used to doing business differently. This will undoubtedly include buying more recycled and secondary aggregates for higher value uses such as sub bases, concrete and asphalt."

WRAP is undertaking a number of awareness raising initiatives to help people manage their way through this transition period.