Rethinking Where the UK’s Waste Really Goes

Exporting waste has long been accepted. That’s starting to change.

A recent piece on letsrecycle.com revisits the question of whether the UK should continue sending material overseas, as expectations around environmental responsibility and resource value continue to evolve.

The UK continues to export significant volumes of waste, particularly plastics and refuse-derived fuel, often to countries with lower processing costs. For some, this remains a necessary part of the system. For others, it raises questions about environmental impact, transparency and missed opportunities to recover value domestically.

The argument for change is gaining momentum. Keeping more material within the UK could support investment in infrastructure, strengthen the circular economy and reduce reliance on overseas markets that may not always operate to the same environmental standards.

But the reality is more complex.

For Neil Jeremiah, the debate needs to balance ambition with delivery:

“There’s a strong case for building more domestic capacity, but that doesn’t happen overnight. In the meantime, councils still need systems that work reliably today. The risk is focusing too heavily on where waste ends up, without ensuring the front-end services can support that shift.”

Exporting waste may become less acceptable over time. But removing that option too quickly, without the right infrastructure in place, could create operational challenges across the system.

The direction of travel is clear. The question is whether the system is ready to support it.

At Endurance, we’re focused on making sure services keep running, even as the wider system works out where waste should go next.

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