Recommendation 24

We asked the Agency about its efforts to stop illegal exports and its performance in doing so. In response, the Agency highlighted the waste it successfully prevents being illegally exported, saying it prevented about 18,000 tonnes last year.84 Over the five years to 2020–21, on average two-thirds of the waste the Agency stopped was intercepted at the originating waste site; the Agency’s estimate of the revenue to the economy from the waste it stops at site averages £1.3 million per year over this period.85 The other third of the waste the Agency stopped was at intercepted at ports; in this period the Agency inspected around 1,100 containers per year on average.86 However, the Agency acknowledged that it does not know how much waste is illegally exported despite its efforts.87 Describing it as a conservative estimate, the Environmental Services Association told us that around 400,000 tonnes of waste are exported illegally each year, costing the economy £42 million.88