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

To ask Her Majesty's Government, following accounts of widespread fraud in activities involving the recycling, export and disposal of plastics, what action they intend to take to protect and promote genuine recycling of plastic.

Businesses involved in the shipment of wastes are required to take all necessary steps to ensure that the waste they ship is managed in an environmentally sound manner throughout its shipment and during recycling. The export of waste for disposal is illegal and illegal exports of waste are part of the Government’s focus on tackling waste crime. Any UK operators found to be illegally exporting waste can face severe sanctions – from financial penalties up to imprisonment.

The UK environmental regulators take an intelligence led approach to checking compliance with these obligations, intervening to stop illegal exports taking place. Last year, the Environment Agency (EA) issued 158 stop notices, prohibiting the export of unsuitable waste. It stopped 367 containers of waste destined for illegal export at ports and intervened further upstream to prevent 8,974 tonnes of waste from reaching our ports. Tackling all forms of waste crime is a Government priority. The Government has commissioned a review of serious and organised waste crime and, following this, we will set out our strategic approach to waste crime as part of the Resources and Waste Strategy.

We have also committed in our 25 Year Environment Plan to reforming our producer responsibility systems (including packaging waste regulations) to incentivise producers to take greater responsibility for the environmental impacts of their products.

Waste exports will continue play an important role in resource management, however. Where the UK cannot recycle materials economically, exports can help ensure those materials are recycled rather than landfilled. As not all products sold in the UK are made in the UK, exports can help increase the amount of recyclable materials going into the new products we buy.