In a statement just issued by the Agency, it confirms that containers have been detained at a number of ports “including several at Southampton, at the beginning of August which we believe to be exports of illegal waste.”
The Agency said that in its opinion, the waste concerned “is unsorted municipal waste and scrap metal”.
No details have been released as to the ownership of the materials concerned in the latest crackdown by officials. A spokeswoman for the Agency said that the containers were being returned to their owners and investigations were proceeding.
” The output of the working group has now been presented to the Environment Agency “
Ray Georgeson, WRAP
Meanwhile, talks between the Agency, the waste management sector and the paper industry – brokered by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) – are continuing. A meeting earlier this month (August 2005) between all the parties saw Roy Watkinson, hazardous waste policy manager at the Agency, presented with a single document containing two core proposals.
Ray Georgeson, policy director at WRAP, who is chairing the meetings, said: “The output of the working group has now been presented to the Environment Agency. This includes an operations protocol for materials recycling facilities and a position paper on what may be seen as tolerable levels for contraries with paper consignments.”
The exact contents of the protocol and position paper are not being released. However, it is thought that a percentage figure, possibly 2%, for contraries is being considered for the tolerable level of non-paper items (such as plastic bottles or film) within paper bales.
Green List
Such a move might not find favour with the waste management sector which can find it hard to produce paper from MRFs containing this level of contaminants.
The other difficulty facing the Agency is that according to international Green List specifications by which it abides, there is little or no room for any contaminants at all.
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The debate over the paper exports has also included discussions as to whether the protocol should apply to baling and sorting lines at the premises of paper recyclers. The sector is thought to feel that the protocol for MRFs should only apply to the waste industry rather than waste paper merchants, since they are already well aware of acceptable norms within the paper sector and do not usually handle commingled material.
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