Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of strengthening waste regulations (a) for the list of approved destinations of and (b) on the environmental standards for aluminium scrap exports on (i) encouraging domestic recycling and (ii) reducing carbon leakage.

We are currently considering the role of exports in dealing with the UK’s scrap aluminium and how they can complement domestic recycling efforts.

Overseas facilities receiving UK waste must be operated in accordance with standards that are broadly equivalent to those established in UK legislation. We work with the UK regulators to ensure the proper enforcement of our rules and regulations.

Defra is committed to building a circular economy that enhances industry competition and capitalises on the UK’s potential in aluminium processing, whilst realising our environmental objectives.