Should the UK ban all plastic waste exports?

Last month the Chief Executive of the Environmental Agency suggested that the UK should consider banning all plastic waste exports in order to curb waste crime and stimulate local recycling. This announcement was met with a backlash from the recycling industry, highlighting that there isn’t a singular simple solution to recycling plastic waste and that outright bans don’t take into consideration the many factors impacting plastic recycling and exports.

In an ideal world many in the UK recycling industry would like to see more plastic being processed locally, ideally 100%, but currently the volumes of plastic waste far exceed recycling capacity. Until plastic packaging is reduced or recycling capacity is sufficiently ramped up, exporting plastic waste remains an important element of building circular economies.

It is true that waste crime exists and it doesn’t help when piles of plastic packaging clearly showing UK supermarket names, or, worse, local councils are shown to be polluting foreign countries. It’s embarrassing for the UK to say the least and negatively impacts the recycling industry as a whole as it undermines the efforts of recyclers and plastics exporters who are trying to make a positive environmental impact.  But not all plastic exports are equal.

Defining plastic exports

In January 2021 the European Union implemented a ban on Y48 plastic to non OECD countries. Y48 waste is classified as contaminated and highly mixed plastic that is difficult to recycle.  It is exactly the type of plastic that results in large scale pollution especially in developing countries. A major part of the problem remains collections and households not making proper use of recycling opportunities, and, additionally, recyclers not being able to pre-sort effectively.

There are also those that say manufacturers are not doing enough to simplify packaging so that it is easier to recycle. According to the Recycling Association, the UK imports a significant amount of plastic packaging from countries such as Turkey, China and other parts of South East Asia. Exporting packaging material back to those countries (provided its clean) can close the loop in terms of the circular economy. Contrary to the sensationalist news headlines, there are compliant recycling facilities that can process quality materials more efficiently and in greater quantities than in the UK.

Another question raised is: Are plastic pellets derived from plastic waste still considered waste or are they a commodity for export?  The pellets have already been processed and are ready for reuse in recycling, so they are no longer plastic waste and are rather a valuable export commodity. However, this then cycles back to the argument that more plastic waste should be processed at home. If generating plastic pellets is a commodity of value that can be exported, it could be a very valuable way to generate revenue for the UK.

Plastic exports and imports in the UK are one of the top ten commodities with a trade deficit that the UK is consistently working to reduce. Currently 69% of plastics trading is with the EU, followed by 16% with Asia, 8% with North America, and 3% with the Middle East. The remaining trade in regions such as Africa, South America and Oceania is less than 1% respectively. Given the size of the plastics trading industry, implementing a blanket ban on all exports would be hugely disruptive and result in a significant loss of export revenues.

What’s the state of UK plastic recycling?

As of 2017 the amount of plastic packaging being used in the UK has stabilized around 2.4 million tonnes. Since 2015 the amount of plastic being recycled has been steadily increasing. The latest figures indicate plastic recycling rates of 86%. While this is encouraging, the reality is that it is still not keeping up with demand, and are the figures accurate?  Manufacturers and consumers are indicating preferences for recycled plastic packaging which is driving demand up further. International pressure to reduce volumes of hard to recycle plastics and accelerate recycling efforts in local economies is another factor. In the UK, huge inroads have been made in advancing recycling technologies and ramping up capacity and the industry is well aware of the need to expand and accelerate these programs, but recycling plants aren’t built overnight.

For now, plastics trading is helping to move volumes of plastics to where it can be processed and the industry is working hard to maintain compliance. Will waste criminals find a gap? Most likely, but we shouldn’t let that hinder efforts to make the plastics industry more circular or let it take away what is being achieved in terms of reducing production of packaging  by weight and increasing recycling rates.