Request for information about the end destinations of recyclable materials collected in Hackney

2.1 Please find below the information that you have requested:

Table 1. Tonnage and percentage of dry recyclables separately collected in Hackney in 2018/19 with end destinations

Table 2. Tonnage and percentage of plastics separately collected in Hackney in 2018/19 with end destinations

2.2. Substantial progress in achieving greater clarity on final destinations was made the following year; therefore, we have additionally included the same information for 2019/20 below:

Table 3. Tonnage and percentage of dry recyclables separately collected in Hackney in 2019/20 with end destinations

Table 4. Tonnage and percentage of plastics separately collected in Hackney in 2019/20 with end destinations

2.3. Since the export destinations were unknown in 2018/19, we have answered the subsequent questions for 2019/20 export destinations. In 2019/20 the principle non-EU destination for dry recyclables was: the Far East including: China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Turkey, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Pakistan.

2.4. ​​​​​​​Of the exports to Non-EU countries in 2019/20, 96% was fibre (paper and cardboard) and 4% was plastic.

2.5. ​​​​​​​There is not enough capacity in the UK to recycle all the waste fibre produced here. In recent times the Aylesford, Abitibi Bowater and SCA paper mills have closed and UPM Kymmene in Shotton North Wales has also reduced capacity. That equates to approximately one million tonnes of capacity reduction in the UK, which has led to greater reliance on exports to mills outside of the UK.

2.6. ​​​​​​​During 2018/19 and 2019/20, Hackney’s MDR was delivered to, sorted by, and marketed by Bywaters (Leyton) Ltd (Bywaters) at their Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Bow, East London.  Bywaters predominantly marketed the recyclables using materials brokers, who buy recyclables from across the UK and arrange onward reprocessing with recycling facilities. Materials brokers often send recycling to a large number of destinations in a given period, which makes it challenging to track exactly where the materials that were collected in Hackney were sent to.

2.7. As demonstrated by the figures above, NLWA worked with Bywaters during 2019 to develop more transparent reporting of destinations. The information provided sets out the full suite of destinations which each materials broker used for the material in question during that period to show all the possible destinations that Hackney’s recycling may have been sent to.

2.8. ​​​​​​​Further to the more transparent reporting achieved in 2019/20, NLWA entered into a new MRF contract with Biffa Waste Services Ltd (Biffa) in December 2019, which replaced the Bywaters contract for Hackney’s MDR from April 2020.  The new contract specifies that full onward destination reporting is mandatory, and we are therefore receiving even more transparent destination information for 2020/21.

2.​​​​​​​9. NLWA has recently engaged Biffa to investigate how recyclables which are currently exported outside of Europe can be processed within facilities in the UK and Europe, which should enable more transparent reporting as well as reduce transport emissions.

2.​​​​​​​10. With regards to plastics specifically, Biffa have invested in their own plastic recycling facilities in the UK, recently opening a new PET recycling facility in Seaham, County Durham, to supplement their High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) recycling plant in Redcar, N. Yorkshire and their specialist plastics sorting facility in Aldridge, West Midlands.

2.​​​​​​​11. Where recyclables are exported, they will only be sent to companies that are accredited to issue packaging recovery notes. Electronic Packaging Export Recovery Notes (ePERNs) and Electronic Packaging Recovery Notes (ePERNs) are tradeable certificates issued by accredited companies to evidence the tonnage of packaging waste materials they have received and processed for recycling or recovery to a required standard. The notes are used by companies with obligations under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations to prove that certain tonnages of packaging waste have been recycled or recoverd in line with the regulations. Only those facilities that meet an equivalent standard to facilities in the UK are able to issue packaging recovery notes. The system is enforced in England and Wales by the Environment Agency. Further information is available on the NetRegs website at http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/92731.aspx

​​​​​​​2.12. NLWA carry out regular audits of Biffa to verify the reported destination information, by viewing copies of ‘Annex 7’ paperwork which accompanies all loads of recycling being exported from the UK. The most recent audit was carried out in October 2020.

2.13. ​​​​​​​I trust the above answers your questions, but if you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

​​​​​​​2.14. If you are dissatisfied with this response and wish to appeal, please reply to this email or submit a complaint via our website complaints page at: https://www.nlwa.gov.uk/enquiry-form

Your request should be submitted to us within 40 working days of receipt by you of this response.

2.​​​​​​​15. If you are still not satisfied, you have a right to appeal to the Information Commissioner's:

https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/email/

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

0303 123 1113