EU exports its waste

As local authorities in England celebrated record recycling rates in 2011/12, the European Environment Agency (EEA) warned that EU member states are increasingly exporting waste both within and outside the bloc

The EEA says stringent and harmonised waste policies in the EU have led countries to transport waste material elsewhere.

It says this happening because some member states do not have the facilities to recycle or dispose of particular types of waste, and because demand for recyclable materials is high, both in the EU and beyond, particularly in booming Asian economies.

The agency expects the international trade in recyclable material to continue to grow, driven by more recycling, growing global competition for resources and increasing awareness of the value of waste.

Meanwhile, Defra reports that 43% of household waste was recycled in England in 2011/12, and that local authorities recycled, composted or reused 10.7 million tonnes of the waste – more than was landfilled for the first time since records began.