Sir James Bevan, chief executive at Environment Agency, urges for a total ban on UK waste exports in order to combat crime.
Sir James warns that the current rules that allow certain wastes to be sent abroad for processing could provide cover for illegal and dangerous waste trafficking. A ban will make it harder to make illegal shipping.
The head of the Environmental Services Association (EA) made a speech Tuesday to the Environmental Services Association. He also called for regulators to have more tools to reduce waste crime, including higher fines and longer prison sentences.
Sir James warns that six years after he described waste crime as the new narcotics in his original statement, the problem has only gotten worse.
All evidence points to waste crime on the rise. He will share the details.
The Environment Agency’s 2021 national study on waste crime found that waste crime was endemic in England.
We have good reasons to believe that the Covid lockdowns made it more difficult for law enforcement and the EA to operate freely. This has contributed to an additional increase in the past two years.
Is it ethical to dump the waste we make on another country for them to deal with?
Sir James Bevan, Environment Agency
Waste shipments to be sent abroad must meet all applicable controls or obtain consent from all authorities before they can proceed.
Evidence has been shown that UK waste has caused problems abroad. Plastic rubbish was burned and dumped into Turkey, instead of being recycled. This has led to curbs being placed by British authorities or countries importing plastic.
Sir James is expected say in his speech: It is legal to send certain types of waste overseas, but is it right. Is it morally acceptable to dump the waste we make on another country?
It is becoming more difficult to export waste from the UK as more countries refuse it.
Is the current legal system doing what it should to protect the environment and people from harm or is it allowing illegal and dangerous waste trafficking to continue?
Sir James says that the Government’s resources and waste strategy for 2018 set out the UK’s goal to process more of its waste at home. The strategy will be updated next year and could be the perfect opportunity for the UK to send a strong message to stop waste exports.
He said that we should challenge ourselves to get to a point where all our waste is processed at home and all exports are stopped as soon as possible.
He will state that the UK has all the know-how necessary to process its waste at home. This would encourage more recycling, innovation, and new business, even for firms currently exporting legally.
He also stated that the EA supports Government efforts to crackdown on criminals exploiting the current system. This includes enhanced background checks, permits, and other measures.
The speech will call on the government to increase funding for waste crime prevention and to make use of income from the regulation of legitimate waste industries to combat criminal activity.
Our policy is to stop waste crimes before they happen.
One way to do this is to change the odds that criminals use to calculate the odds. If they are caught, you can impose harsher penalties.
We would like to see larger fines for serious criminals. They are now treated as business expenses and more confiscation of criminals’ assets.
He will add that we would prefer to see longer sentences in prison, which would really concentrate the criminal mind.