Screened fines are produced when waste is generally shredded and/or  screened to remove the heavy smaller fraction. This smaller fraction are commonly known as fines

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Fines mainly contain inert material such as minerals, stones, glass and soils which are naturally occurring. Some fines can also contain fibres, films, plastics, wood and textiles depending on the original waste material before processing. 

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Fines can vary in quality and this can impact on the disposal options and overall costs. If the Fines are derived from Mixed Waste then they will contain biodegradable wastes and small plastic partials. This can make material colourful and odorous reducing the options available for disposal . If the Fines derive from screened Construction and Demolition Waste then this material will be of a better quality consisting in the main of minerals i.e soil and small stones. 

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The method of testing these materials is a WAC Test and a LOI Test. These tests check the levels of metals and chemicals within the material. The LOI (Loss on Ignition) test was introduced to test the level of waste found within the material by testing the combustibility of the source material.  The standard LOI threshold is below 10%, meaning if more than 10% of the material is combustible then it qualifies as waste at the higher land fill tax rate as opposed to the lower inert landfill tax rate.