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<p>The Government is deeply concerned about the illegal trade in waste, including
reports of illegal plastic waste exported from the UK to Malaysia. Recognising the
difficulties experienced by some countries in managing imports of plastic waste, the
Queen’s Speech on the 19 December included a commitment to ban the export of polluting
plastic wastes to countries that are not members of the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD). We will consult this year on the date by which
this should be achieved.</p><p> </p><p>We are working closely with the Malaysian Government
to support the return of 42 improperly documented containers of plastic waste. In
addition, the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur is currently supporting the
Malaysian Government in tackling the wider plastic waste problem. This includes sharing
UK experience as well as collaborating with the Malaysian Government in developing
a Malaysian version of a Plastics Pact (a cross stakeholder grouping) to drive more
effective management of plastic and plastic wastes. My department and the British
High Commission also facilitated a technical meeting in Kuala Lumpur between UK and
Malaysian enforcement authorities to improve plastic waste export/import protocols.</p><p>
</p><p>While we acknowledge that there is a legitimate export market for plastic waste
as a secondary raw material, we take firm action to enforce against those engaged
in the illegal export of contaminated, low quality and unrecyclable plastic wastes.</p><p>Compliance
with the legislation on waste shipments is monitored by the UK’s four environmental
regulators[1]. In England in 2018/19 the Environment Agency inspected almost 1,000
shipping containers at ports and returned over 200 of those to sites. During this
period, the Environment Agency also prevented 12,000 tonnes of waste from reaching
ports which may have otherwise been exported illegally. Any operators found to be
illegally exporting waste can face severe sanctions – from financial penalties to
imprisonment for a period of up to two years.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>[1] The
Environment Agency in England, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the Northern
Ireland Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales</p>
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