Environmentalists scrutinize UK’s proposed ban on plastic waste exports

31 Jan 2020 --- A new UK law is set to ban polluting plastic waste export to developing countries in a bid to ensure their protection against remaining the dumping grounds of unsolicited waste. However, the ban appears to circumvent the country's plastic waste problem as it only applies to plastic waste export from the UK to countries outside of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This means that OECD countries, such as EU Member States and Turkey, could still be fair game for plastic waste export. PackagingInsights speaks with environmentalists who voice their concerns regarding the ban’s long-term efficacy and potential in solving the global plastic packaging waste problem.

“While the UK’s proposed ban is a step in the right direction, the OECD group contains countries that lack adequate waste management facilities to deal with imports in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. This includes Turkey, Chile, South Korea and Mexico. As such, the ban should be strengthened to ensure all waste exports meet environmental and social minimum standards, preventing the export of waste to countries without the capacity to ensure these are met,” says Juliet Philips, Ocean Campaigner at the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA).

The latest trade data shows that over 350,000 metric tons of plastic waste were sent for recycling from the UK to developing countries in 2018, with plastic often ending up dumped in waterways. 

Already facing an inordinate amount of waste produced, China decided to stop importing low quality and mixed waste in 2019. The Chinese shipments have been redirected toward Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand. Following their subsequent end of plastic waste import, the flows have been increasing for Turkey. “It is then likely that the waste concerned by the ban will be exported to OECD countries,” Pierre Condamine, Waste Policy Officer, Zero Waste Europe, predicts.

In response to the ban, EIA is calling for the UK government to phase out plastic waste exports. This appeal comes as part of a holistic suite of measures focused on addressing the underlying drivers of the problem. 

Philips lists unsustainable growth and consumption of single-use packaging and items, a lack of domestic recycling and reprocessing infrastructure and limited end-markets for secondary materials as crucial obstacles. “This should be accompanied by a ban on incineration and landfill tax in order to ensure these do not present cheaper options to developing a circular economy,” she maintains. 

The limitations of recycling 
To reduce packaging consumption to a level that can be dealt with in a circular economy in the UK, a significant emphasis on reduction may be required. “The exponential rise in disposable packaging consumption has fast outpaced domestic improvements in recycling and processing infrastructure. Developing a closed-loop economy can be delivered through a blend of reduction and reuse strategies and targets, alongside capacity-building in reprocessing and supporting the market for products made of recycled content,” highlights Philips.

Last week at the World Economic Forum 2020 held in Davos, Switzerland, Coca-Cola’s Head of Sustainability stated it will not stop using plastic bottles for its beverage lines and advocated for improved recycling infrastructures. However, Condamine assesses recycling as a “prospective path of direction but cannot be the only one.”

In terms of the UK ban, recycling may not even be a solution given that exported waste is not what it claims to be and often is mixed and contaminated waste – which is difficult to recycle and without value. 

“Increasing recycling capacity is part of the solution but will not be enough. We need to follow the waste hierarchy and aim for waste prevention with reduction and reuse measures first,” affirms Condamine.

Alongside recycling, Zero Waste Europe advocates for zero waste, a concept understood as the conservation of resources, which entails sustainable production and consumption. Simultaneously, more emphasis should be placed on keeping the value of the material we use for as long as possible. 

The role that waste management, anti-incineration and reduced plastic production plays in lowering global greenhouse gas emissions will become more significant, the organization affirms. “Zero waste is not only feasible but the right path to adopt,” he says.

Can a waste ban solve the problem?
A waste ban will not solve the packaging waste problem in itself, Condamine asserts. “It has to be part of a broader strategy that is zero waste, meaning increasing the recycling capacity. Above all, we have to reduce the amount of waste we produce by going packaging-free, redesigning products so that they last longer and can be reused or repaired.”

Moreover, the new bill may leave UK environmental protection weaker than under the EU. Specifically on waste exports, the EU is looking to ban the exports of waste outside the EU, as included in the publication of the European Green Deal. This is a stronger measure than the UK has proposed. However, the risk remains that this could still lead to poorer EU Member States becoming a dumping ground as countries look to dispose of their waste at the lowest cost.

“For example, Bulgaria, which in 2014 landfilled 82 percent of its waste, has very low taxes on burying garbage. Poland became a destination for waste from the UK, Czech Republic and Italy, with a so-called trash mafia allegedly managing illegal incineration,” Philips underscores.

While challenges and solutions suggestions are hotly debated, waste disposal in foreign countries yet remains an ethical question, Condamine concludes, with other countries bearing the negative costs of the UK and the EU’s unsustainable production and consumption patterns. To what extent the UK bill will deliver on significant developments in this space is yet to be seen.

By Anni Schleicher

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