Millions of tons of waste plastic from British businesses and homes may be ending up in landfill sites across the world, the government’s spending watchdog has warned.
Huge amounts of packaging waste is being sent overseas on the basis that it will be recycled and turned into new products. However, concerns have been raised that in reality much of it is being dumped in sites from Turkey to Malaysia.
Every year, British households throw 22 million tons of waste into the bin. Recycling rates have stagnated at about 44 per cent and the UK is unlikely to hit its target of 50 per cent by 2020.
Britain does not have the requisite infrastructure to recycle its own plastic waste, so it is sent abroad.