BIR Reveals Details on New Nonferrous Scrap Specifications

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) has provided details on the new nonferrous scrap specifications proposed by the Chinese authorities. Incidentally, the proposed changes by China’s State Administration for Market Regulation is due to take effect starting July this year.

The recycling body has provided links to documents in Chinese language, detailing the new specifications. Separate links are given for standards pertaining to brass scrap, copper scrap and cast aluminium scrap. The documents include photographic examples of the various scrap grades and detailed chemistry specifications in some cases.

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The new specifications allow for certain grades of scrap to be imported as raw materials rather than as waste. For this, the scrap bales need to comply with specific purity standards. Accordingly, bare bright copper wire will have to meet 99.9% purity. , where as the No.3 Copper as per ISRI specifications must conform to 94% purity threshold. Cast Aluminum scrap purity levels could range from 91-98%, whereas recycled-content ingots must be 100% pure aluminium.

The U.S.-based Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) welcomed the new standards. It noted that the Chinese government has finally accepted that scrap metal is not solid waste, an argument that the Institute has been advocating for a long time.