Product Overview

Summary: This Quality Control in Recycling SOP sets out a clear, repeatable process for inspecting, testing and verifying recycled materials before they move to the next stage of processing or dispatch. It helps Australian recycling businesses lift product quality, reduce contamination, and demonstrate due diligence to councils, regulators and downstream customers.

This Quality Control in Recycling Standard Operating Procedure provides a structured framework for managing quality at every stage of the recycling process – from incoming material inspection through to bale testing, documentation and release. Designed for Australian recycling and resource recovery operations, it addresses the practical challenges of variable feedstock, contamination, equipment limitations and tight contractual specifications. The SOP defines how to inspect loads, set sampling plans, record non-conformances, and decide whether to accept, rework or reject materials, ensuring decisions are consistent and defensible.

By implementing this SOP, recycling businesses can reduce contamination rates, improve bale consistency, and build stronger relationships with downstream processors, manufacturers and local councils. It supports compliance with Australian standards, contract quality clauses and environmental licence conditions, while creating a transparent audit trail that stands up to scrutiny from regulators and customers. The document is written to be easily adopted on the plant floor, with clear responsibilities, step-by-step checks, and practical tools for training operators and supervisors in quality-focused behaviours.

Key Benefits

• Improve consistency of recycled outputs, helping meet customer and contractual specifications for contamination levels, moisture and density.
• Reduce rework, rejected loads and associated disposal costs by detecting quality issues earlier in the process.
• Strengthen compliance with environmental approvals, resource recovery targets and council contract requirements through robust quality records.
• Standardise inspection, sampling and testing methods across shifts and sites, reducing reliance on individual judgement.
• Enhance customer confidence and marketability of recycled products by demonstrating a documented, auditable quality control system.

Who is this for?

• Recycling Plant Managers
• Quality Assurance Managers
• Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) Supervisors
• Operations Managers
• Line Leaders and Team Leaders
• Environmental and Sustainability Managers
• Compliance and Governance Managers
• Waste Contract Managers (Council and Private)
• Logistics and Dispatch Coordinators
• Business Owners in Recycling and Resource Recovery

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Key Quality Terms
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities
• 4.0 Applicable Standards, Licences and Contract Requirements
• 5.0 Overview of the Recycling Quality Control Process Flow
• 6.0 Incoming Material Inspection and Acceptance Criteria
• 7.0 Sampling Plans and Frequency for Different Material Streams
• 8.0 In-Process Quality Checks (Sorting, Shredding, Screening, Separation)
• 9.0 Finished Product Quality Criteria (Bales, Flakes, Aggregates, Fines)
• 10.0 Contamination Identification, Classification and Thresholds
• 11.0 Non-Conformance Management (Hold, Rework, Reject, Downgrade)
• 12.0 Recording, Labelling and Traceability Requirements
• 13.0 Communication and Escalation Procedures for Quality Issues
• 14.0 Interface with WHS and Environmental Controls
• 15.0 Training, Competency and Supervision Requirements
• 16.0 Monitoring, Internal Audits and Continuous Improvement
• 17.0 Document Control and Record Retention

Legislation & References

• AS/NZS ISO 9001:2016 Quality management systems – Requirements
• AS/NZS ISO 14001:2016 Environmental management systems – Requirements with guidance for use
• AS 5377:2013 Management of electrical and electronic equipment for re-use and recycling (where applicable)
• National Environment Protection (Used Packaging Materials) Measure 2011 (as amended)
• State and Territory waste and resource recovery regulations and environment protection licences
• Contractual quality specifications issued by local councils and commercial customers