12 million tons of recycled waste from UK households and businesses is illegally dumped or unknowingly wasted every year, much of it exported to foreign landfill sites. The export of rubbish, mainly to Asia via Europe, has doubled over the past decade as councils look to cut costs. The UK government has found that illegally exported waste includes household recycling, used tires sent to China, and electronic waste dumped in landfills in West Africa. In response, the government will tighten inspections at ports and require councils to improve recycling quality and audit waste management processes to curb this illegal and environmentally harmful practice.

2. buildnews
IN THE UK AT LEAST 12 MILLION TONES OF RECYCLED WASTE IS
EXPORTED, ILLEGALY DUMPED AND UNKNOWINGLY WASTED EVERY YEAR
Government has announced that it has been identified that at least 12million tons of recycled
material carefully sorted from UK household and commercial waste is now being dumped in
foreign landfill sites every year.
The trade in sending rubbish abroad – mainly to Asia via Europe – has doubled over the past
decade, as councils have increasingly turned to contractors to deal with mountains of waste
generated by compulsory recycling schemes in an effort to control cost
Defra has stated that “The majority of illegal waste exports we have intercepted consists of
waste originally collected by or on behalf of local authorities via household recycling
collection services and this is clearly unacceptable,
As well as household rubbish, Defra has also announced that it has discovered that other UK
waste material dumped abroad include used tyres, sent to China, and discarded televisions
and computers, which end up directly in landfill in West Africa.

3. buildsolutions
UK WASTE & RECYCLED MATERIAL EXPORTS MUST STOP NOW BECAUSE WE
ARE SIMPLY THROWING MONEY & ENERGY AWAY WE CANT AFFORD
The Environment secretary has now promised that Defra will further tighten inspections at
ports to curb the illegal trade in green waste which will almost certainly result in a forced
reduction in this both illegal and environmentally immoral activity,
The Environment Agency will now also insist that councils and local authorities must be more
responsible in improving the quality of recycling collected and diligently audit their waste
management streams from beginning to end regardless of where that my end up.
Proposed Government recommendations will undoubtedly improve the overall sustainable
lifecycle of waste and recycled materials collected in the UK however unless we look at
alternative solutions of what we do with our waste once collected the cost implications will be
significant upon an essential service already under significant financial pressure nationally.
THE ALTERNATIVES: ALL LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND WASTE MANAGEMENT ORGANISATIONS
SHOULD BE AWARE THAT ALMOST ALL WASTE MATERIALS NOW HOLD POTENTIAL AS FUEL FOR
MUCH NEEDED ENERGY GENERATION WITH ZERO WASTE TO LANDFILL AS A RESULT.
LET US SHOW YOU HOW