Written question WQ82421

Investment by the Welsh Government since 2001 has supported our national recycling rate to more than 65%, exceeding our latest target and confirming Wales’ place as one of the best recycling nations in the world.

In 2019-20, just over 51% (506,171 tonnes) of the 985,000 tonnes of the material recycled by households across Wales was processed in Wales and just over 33% (328,923 tonnes) was sent to England for processing. With just under 85% of recyclable waste from Welsh households being reported by local authorities as having an end destination in England or Wales, the remaining 15% was exported.

As part of our commitment to reaching zero waste and 100% recycling by 2050, we are committed to taking responsibility for our waste in Wales. As we continue to improve our recycling and transition to a circular economy, recyclable materials are becoming an increasingly important commodity traded internationally.

The trans-frontier shipment of waste is a reserved issue, which is the responsibility of the UK Government. We are working with the UK Government to develop an electronic tracking system for waste movements which will further improve UK data on exports of waste from households and non-domestic premises.