Tessa Munt

The criteria include having the relevant permits, authorisations and contracts in place to move and process waste tyres. Approved recovery sites must have the Indian tyres extended producer responsibility registration. Evidence of these is assessed on a site-by-site basis.

These requirements align with the Basel Convention Environmentally Sound Management guidance.

The Environment Agency is not currently planning to remove or replace the requirement for geo‑tagged photographs. Where geo-tagged photos are not available alternative evidence will be considered.

Government is engaging with the Indian authorities, including the Indian Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, to confirm their legal position on the regulatory controls that apply for the import of end-of-life tyres to India. We continue to work with our Indian counterparts to ensure that waste, including end of life tyres, is recovered and recycled in compliance with the relevant regulations.

As of 5 June 2026, the Environment Agency has issued seven prohibition notices to exporters that failed to comply with the requirement to provide post-shipment information within the revised sixteen-week deadline.

The Environment Agency (EA) does not currently record information on a central system or in a way that allows it to identify how many exporters and brokers issued with a warning notice have come into compliance. The EA is updating its processes to enable this information to be captured in future.

The Environment Agency’s (EA) data is maintained as a rolling operational dataset. The EA is currently unable to identify how many of the shipments that were non-compliant in this period are now compliant. Collating it within the time available would incur disproportionate cost as each shipment would have to be checked manually.

The Environment Agency (EA) has now received post‑shipment information for 531 of the 548 shipments. The EA is now following up with the exporters of the remaining 17 shipments to ensure that the material has been taken to an appropriate facility.

The Environment Agency received post-shipment information for 2,503 of 3,315 shipments. This amendment to the total is because of shipments being initially reported which were out of scope. All of the 812 late submissions have been followed up with the exporter.

1,059 of the 2,503 shipments have not supplied geo-tagged photos, but have provided alternative evidence to demonstrate that material had been correctly received.

In 2023 there were 109,638 tonnes of waste packaging aluminium reported to the Environment Agency as being exported from England via the Packaging Export Recovery Note system. In 2024 there were 105,821 tonnes reported, in 2025 there were 103,888 tonnes reported.

This total includes waste packaging aluminium, as opposed to just aluminium cans, as figures are recorded by material rather than packaging types.

Between 2 February 2026 and 2 March 2026 the Environment Agency received 1301 Annex VII pre-shipment submissions relating to the export of waste tyres/rubber to India.

The Environment Agency (EA) is thoroughly reviewing why there is post-shipment information outstanding beyond the eight-week deadline from 16 of the 50 approved sites.

Their assessment of information from overseas partners, operators and the World Customs Organization suggest that, while an eight‑week timeframe is sometimes achievable, it does not reflect current global logistics timelines.

The EA’s is satisfied that extending the deadline from eight to sixteen weeks is reasonable based on the available data. This is because it continues to strengthen traceability and compliance, and provides better protection for legitimate operators, without undermining its work to ensure that waste tyres are managed appropriately.

The Environment Agency (EA) is working through a significant submission of data from exporters and will be able to confirm the position by 2 April 2026. Thus far, the EA is not aware of any additional information relating to any of the 16 sites.

Work continues on the drafting of the legislation which covers the whole package of waste exemption reforms, including the removal of the T8 exemption, and the timing remains subject to Parliamentary time. When the Regulations come into force the published transition periods will begin. For the T8 exemption this is 3 months.

Following a reconciliation process, the Environment Agency confirms that 3,277 Annex VII forms were submitted at least 3 days prior to shipment between 28 October 2025 and 2 February 2026. This minor amendment results from shipments being initially reported which were out of scope.

Of the 3,277 shipments, 1,398 exceeded the 16-week deadline (30 March 2026) to provide post-shipment information.

Of these 1398 shipments, the Environment Agency has:

• received 820 post-shipment Annex VII forms that consist of:
  • 287 complete post-shipment Annex VII forms with geotagged evidence demonstrating the shipment arrived at the intended recovery facility in India
  • 533 post-shipment Annex VII forms that are considered non-compliant to varying extents because of missing, incomplete or incorrect information including issues with geotagging. The Environment Agency has followed up on each of these with further compliance and enforcement activity

• followed up on all of the 548 shipments that still have information pending after the 16-week deadline. This can include serving prohibition notice, issuing a warning or requesting further information.

The Environment Agency (EA) is yet to suspend or issue a prohibition (stop) notice on any exporters or brokers who have failed to provide post shipment information.

It has issued 14 warnings on exporters who have failed to provide the required information and is closely monitoring the returns.

The EA is assessing the feasibility of responding within 8-weeks as evidence from exporters is highlighting delays beyond their control.

Of the 50 approved receiving sites, the Environment Agency (EA) has post shipment information outstanding beyond the eight-week deadline from 16 sites.

Exporters have informed the EA that shipments are not arriving at the intended destination within eight weeks' notice period which is why the post-shipment information is delayed. Delays at Indian Customs, container handling sites and onwards transport have been cited as reasons. The EA is now considering extending this time period to ensure it is achievable.

It is the responsibility of the exporter rather than the receiving site to provide the required information to the Environment Agency.

The EA has issued 14 warnings on exporters who have failed to provide the required information

The Environment Agency (EA) is yet to remove sites from its acknowledged list to prevent them from receiving future consignments. At this point there is no evidence to show that any receiving sites are deliberately not supplying the information needed to exporter which would be grounds for their removal.

The Waste Shipment Regulations put legal duties on the exporter. The EA will therefore focus its regulatory efforts on the exporter rather than the receiving site.

Of the 3442 annex VII documents referenced (now revised to 3281 following further data assurance) 1,891 have reached the eight-week deadline. Annex VII forms submitted after the 15 December 2025 are not yet due.

Of these 1891, 1,370 have not been returned with the post-shipment information required, including geotagged photographs.

521 Annex VII forms were returned. 458 met the requirements, including geotagged photos, 63 did not. The Environment Agency (EA) is actively pursuing the remaining returns of the outstanding Annex VII and those who are non-compliant. Further actions may include prohibiting further shipments and/or enforcement.

The EA is continuing to assure the data that is received so there may be further amendments in the final figures.

Of the 1,891 pre-shipment Annex VII forms referenced, 1,370 were not returned with the arrival information within the eight-week deadline.

Exporters have reported delays arising from customs processes, onward collection from ports and transport issues following arrival in India. The Environment Agency is actively pursuing the remaining returns of the outstanding Annex VII and those who are non-compliant. Further actions may include prohibiting further shipments and/or enforcement.

Defra does not maintain a list of businesses that export waste from the UK. Any exporter that is not the original waste producer must be registered as a waste broker or dealer. Details of registered brokers and dealers in England can be found on the public register, available at: https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers

Information on the destination of waste exported from the UK is publicly available here: https://www.uktradeinfo.com/

Defra does not maintain a list of businesses that export waste from the UK. Any exporter that is not the original waste producer must be registered as a waste broker or dealer. Details of registered brokers and dealers in England can be found on the public register, available at: https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers

Information on the destination of waste exported from the UK is publicly available here: https://www.uktradeinfo.com/

The export of waste tyres is subject to controls set out in existing UK legislation. The Environment Agency (EA) has recently completed a review into its approach for regulating the export of waste tyres. As a result of this, the EA has launched enhanced verification checks for all waste tyres exported to India to ensure they are handled in an environmentally sound manner. The EA intends to publish a further update on their work, including further information relating to the enhanced verification checks, in early 2026. Defra officials will continue to keep the situation under review.

The Environment Agency will publish further information on the enhanced verification checks in Spring 2026.

Of the 1,891 Annex VII documents received by the Environment Agency regarding the export of waste tyres between 28 October and 15 December 2025, 605 are from sites that have a T8 exemption.

The Environment Agency has received a total of 3,442 annex VII documents between 28 October to 2 February 2026 relating to the movement of waste tyres from England. 241 of these were considered late as they were received less than the required 3 days before the waste movement. The Environment Agency is now undertaking follow up activities and considering the use of stop notices for non-compliant companies.

The Environment Agency (EA) takes appropriate action to bring businesses within the waste sector back into compliance and to prevent and disrupt criminal activity. This includes providing advice and guidance for businesses trying to do the right thing, issuing enforcement notices where necessary, and, when required, pursuing prosecution as a last resort.

If exporters fail to provide geotagged photographs showing that consignments have reached their destination, the EA will carry out further checks, including reviewing any alternative evidence that the waste was managed appropriately. Where the destination cannot be verified, the EA may prohibit future shipments from a specific operator or to a particular destination. It will also consider taking enforcement action for failing to comply with the notice.

Removal of the T8 waste exemption for mechanically treating end-of-life tyres is part of a package of reforms to the waste exemption regime. These reforms encompass the removal of two other exemptions, substantial amendments to seven exemptions and the introduction of a number of other controls.

Regulations will be made under section 2 of Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999 and subject to the affirmative resolution procedure. The work preparing these regulations is underway and will be laid at a date subject to Parliamentary time.

The Environment Agency (EA) received two “change of destination” requests for shipments within the enhanced verification process.

One request was submitted while the shipment was already at sea, and the other before it left the UK. Both were sent by email and recorded by the operational team.

Whilst there is no legal requirement for exporters to inform the EA about a change of destination under the Waste Shipment Regulations, the EA monitors such changes to ensure waste is not diverted to an unsuitable destination.

The Environment Agency has received 79 completed annex VII documents since 28 December 2025 with attached geotagged photographs. Any photos submitted without the required geotagging are considered non-compliant and further action is taken.

The Environment Agency (EA) has issued 44 Information Notices, and in return received 1,891 Annex VII documents relating to outward shipments from the UK since 28 October 2025 when the new procedures were introduced.

The EA’s enhanced verification procedure requires completed annex VII documents to be submitted 8 weeks after shipment to confirm it has arrived at its destination.

The deadline for the first completed document was 28 December. The EA has since received 112 Annex VII documents from the receiving sites- this number will increase as more shipments reach the 8-week deadline.

The EA continues to request completed Annex VIIs and is actively following up the outstanding returns.