The British Plastics Federation (BPF), has published a new paper supporting the aims of the Norway proposal on plastic waste exports.
The proposal was tabled under the United Nations’ Basel Convention to ensure plastic waste exports are treated in an environmentally safe manner upon reaching the final destination.
The BPF believes that low-grade, mixed plastic waste exports should have tighter controls, irrespective of their final destination. This would act as a driver for improved materials sorting at material recovery facilities (MRFs) across the UK.
Dependence on plastic waste exports has left the UK open to criticism that it is indirectly contributing to marine plastics pollution.
Philip Law, director general of the BPF, said: “Improving the quality of our plastic waste exports has the highly important potential to boost the recycling industry and can contribute toward reducing the overall reliance on plastic waste exports and in developing a domestic recycling culture.”
The BPF continues to support efforts to reduce the UK’s reliance on plastic waste exports, with the goal of expanding national recycling capacity.