GREEN Party councillor Ben Crystal has asked council officials what can be done to make sure Hertfordshire waste that's sent overseas is recycled 'as promised'.

Data presented to councillors this week, shows that the vast majority of recyclables collected in the county – 86.52 per cent – is recycled within the UK.

And just over half of it – 54.7 per cent – is recycled within the East of England region.

But a report – presented to the first meeting of the county council's environment cabinet panel on Wednesday (June 9) – shows some of the county's recyclables are sent much further away.

Based on data from 2019/20, it suggests nine per cent of the collected recyclables in the county are sent to India, Indonesia, Taiwan or Thailand.

A further 2.36 per cent is recycled in EU countries and 2 per cent in Turkey.

And some waste – 0.11 per cent – is sent even further, to the Ivory Coast, the Russian Federation and the Ukraine.

There have been reports of some waste from the UK being shipped overseas in order to be recycled – only for that waste to be found 'dumped'.

And although none of that 'dumped' waste has ever been tracked back to Hertfordshire, Cllr Crystall asked officers what could be done to ensure waste was alwasys recycled, as promised.

After noting the nine per cent of recyclables that were being sent to the Far East, he said: "I wondered if there was anything that the county does to ensure that ultimately material is recycled as is promised – and doesn't end up dumped.

"Are there opportunities for clauses there that mean we can re-negotiatie if we find material isn't being handled in the way we would expect."

Matt King, the county council's head of waste management, stressed that the vast majority of the dry recyclable material was handled regionally.

And he said the recyclables – including those that were exported – were handled by a "hugely experienced" contractor, who complied with all requirements in terms of transfer and shipments of waste.