20 January 2021

Views sought on update to UK Plan for Shipment of Waste

The UK Government has published its update proposals to the UK plan for Shipment of Waste.

© Gary Chan/Unsplash

The UK Government has published its update proposals to the UK plan for Shipment of Waste.

It suggests prohibiting imports and exports of waste to and from the UK for disposal in alignment with the Government's Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) strategy.

Further updates of the policy aim to:

  • Remove the existing exception relating to export of contaminated river sediment waste for disposal.
  • Clarify that interim disposal operations should be carried out in the UK where possible.
  • Insert a new exception relating to the export of mercury and mercury-contaminated wastes for disposal.

The policy was last updated in 2012, and following the UK’s departure from the EU now requires further refinement.

You can view all the proposed changes in the draft updated here and contribute feedback here. The consultation closes on 1 March 2021.

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