Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to take to ensure that the contents of the 42 containers of plastic being returned by the Malaysian Government are recycled in the UK.

Thirty-five of the containers have already arrived in England and the remaining seven were scheduled to leave Malaysia before the end of January. The Environment Agency, as competent authority of England, is overseeing the voluntary return of all 42 containers of waste. The return of these containers is being managed and financed by the parties involved in the original export to Malaysia as it is their responsibility. The Environment Agency is closely monitoring their return to England and subsequent lawful recovery or disposal of the waste in the UK.

The Government is deeply concerned about the illegal trade in waste, including reports of illegal plastic waste exported from the UK to Malaysia. Recognising the difficulties experienced by some countries in managing imports of plastic waste, the Queen’s Speech on 19 December last year included a commitment to ban the export of polluting plastic wastes to countries that are not members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. We will consult this year on the date by which this should be achieved.