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Written question asked by Jim Cunningham (Labour) on Tuesday, 23 July 2019, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 3 September 2019 (named day). It was answered by Baroness Coffey (Conservative) on Thursday, 5 September 2019 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Recycling: Sri Lanka

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to prevent the export of (a) hazardous and (b) medical UK waste to Sri Lanka as recycling.

Answer

It is prohibited to export hazardous waste from the UK to countries, such as Sri Lanka, which are not members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The export of non-hazardous healthcare wastes for recycling to countries outside the OECD is permissible when following a prior written notification and consent procedure, and would require the consent of the competent authorities in the countries of import and export prior to shipment. No such consent has been issued in respect of exports of healthcare wastes to Sri Lanka.

The UK environmental regulators take a proactive, intelligence led approach to checking compliance with the legislation, targeting exports which pose a high risk and intervening to stop illegal exports. In 2017/18, the Environment Agency 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. Any UK operators found to be illegally exporting waste can be fined and/or imprisoned for up to two years.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
280906
Session
2017-19
Related items
Recycling: Sri Lanka
Friday, 6 September 2019
Written questions
House of Commons
Transferred
Yes
Subjects
Exports Hazardous substances Recycling Sri Lanka Clinical waste
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk