Both the Brazilian authorities and the Environment Agency are investigating claims that 1,400 tonnes of waste material from the UK was illegally exported to three ports in Brazil between February and May this year. The Brazilian environmental authorities last month claimed that nearly 100 containers marked as ‘mixed plastic' were found to have included a range of clinical and hazardous wastes (see letsrecycle.com story).
The comments from the UK waste companies come after Wiltshire-based Hills Waste Solutions confirmed that it had dealt with one of the companies named, Worldwide Bioreyclables, during a collection trial for mixed rigid plastics for Wiltshire county council which ended in April 2009 – but stressed that at no time did it or Wiltshire council supply the company with hazardous waste for disposal (see letsrecycle.com story).
A spokesman for Viridor told letsrecycle.com: “Viridor has no relationship with the firms concerned”, while a statement released by Biffa said: “We have no business relationship/dealings with the two companies”. Shanks and SITA also said that they had no dealings with the companies.
And, a spokesman for WRG said: “WRG can confirm that it has not had, and does not have, a trading relationship with Worldwide Biorecyclables Limited (nor with Multiplas Recycling Ltd).”
To date, three Swindon-based men have been arrested as part of the EA's investigation into the claims (see letsrecycle.com story) , while the waste is expected to enter the UK at the end of August having been shipped from the Brazilian port of Santos last week (August 3) (see letsrecycle.com story).
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