NLWA is committed to recycling materials in the UK where possible, and are concerned about recent reports on some UK recycling being sorted overseas.
Cllr Clyde Loakes MBE, Chair of North London Waste Authority (NLWA), said: “The human cost can be too high if the UK exports its waste overseas – it can mean unsafe conditions, exploitation, lives put at risk. If we make the waste; we must deal with it here.
“It's why prevention is paramount. If producers stop flooding the market with unnecessary plastics and packaging that can’t be easily recycled, we can prevent this harm in the first place.
“At North London Waste Authority, which manages the recycling of two million Londoners, waste and recycling is sorted as close to home as possible. That cuts transport emissions and makes it easier to prove materials are genuinely recycled. We publish all our destinations openly, and in 2024/25 we processed 100% of plastics, metals and glass in the UK. Our commitment is 100% of all materials to UK destinations by 2030.
“But what’s crucial is systemic change, and that must come from producers. They must cut unsustainable plastics, redesign products and packaging, and use materials that don’t leave behind a trail of harm. The government must support this by encouraging investment in UK recycling plants so more councils can have their residents’ recycling processed here at home. The government must also help build strong domestic markets, so recycled content is actually used to make products here in the UK.
“Households already do their part every week. Producers and the government need to act now.”
