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Written question asked by Andrew Snowden (Conservative) on Friday, 29 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 2 June 2026. It was answered by Mary Creagh (Labour) on Wednesday, 3 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Waste: Exports

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many enforcement actions have been taken by the Environment Agency in relation to misclassified waste exports in the last five years.

Answer

In the last five years, the Environment Agency (EA) has secured 6 prosecutions, accepted 3 enforcement undertakings and served 1 fixed penalty notice. In addition, 35 warning letters and 169 formal advice and guidance letters have been issued for lower-level offences.

The EA takes a range of enforcement actions in response to illegal and misclassified waste exports, using a proportionate, risk-based approach set out in its Enforcement and Sanctions Policy.

The EA has prevented nearly 235,000 tonnes of waste from being exported unlawfully in the last 5 years. Enforcement is targeted at the most serious cases, particularly those involving hazardous, misdescribed or contaminated waste. In March 2026 a company and its director were ordered to pay more than £142,000 for illegally exporting contaminated plastic waste to Malaysia.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
5265
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Enforcement Exports Waste
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk