The Environment Agency has written to stakeholders in the plastics recycling industry to remind them to apply for prior consent to export certain types of plastics.
Forthcoming amendments to the Basel Convention restricting the export of certain types of plastics will come into force on 1 January 2021.
Forthcoming amendments to the Basel Convention restricting the export of certain types of plastics will come into force on 1 January 2021
In the letter, the Agency said the number of applications it had received so far had been below expectations.
It explained: “To date, we have not received the level of applications for notifications that we would expect, based on data from customs, hazardous waste consignee returns, producer responsibility approved operators and others handling plastic waste.
“The Basel Convention is a global agreement, and we will be assessing compliance and taking enforcement action from Day 1. We will be actively identifying, inspecting and if necessary stopping and returning loads of plastic waste which are not fully compliant with the requirements.
“We will continue to provide advice and guidance as part of our response, but we cannot allow illegal movements to take place where we are aware of breaches so we will stop movements where necessary as soon as the requirements become law.”
Consent
The Agency emphasises that the plastics recycling sector and operators should apply as soon as possible to the relevant authority of dispatch if they need consent to ship notifiable plastics. They must not seek to move plastics wastes after 1 January 2021 without the necessary consents in place.
“We will be actively identifying, inspecting and if necessary stopping and returning loads of plastic waste which are not fully compliant”
Failure to do so may result in loads being stopped and returned or repatriated. In such a scenario, the person organising the shipment would be responsible for the full costs. The Agency may also seek to take action against all those involved within the waste chain under Duty of Care Requirements.
CONTACT If operators have any questions or queries, they can direct them by email to askshipments@environment-agency.gov.uk for assistance.
Basel Convention
The Basel Convention is an international treaty designed to reduce the movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to prevent the transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries.
As of 1 January 2021, new entries to Annexes II, XIII and IX of the Basel Convention will become effective. The changes mean that only plastics which are destined for recycling operations, consist almost exclusively of one type of plastic and are almost free from contamination can continue to be exported as ‘Green List’ waste.
Mixtures of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can continue to be exported under Green List controls on the proviso they are destined for separate recycling. All other plastic exports must be notified and receive consent for export prior to the movements.
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Source: letsrecycle.com Plastic
