The LIFE SWEAP team is well on track to achieve their target of conducting 45,000 inspections over the course of the project (2018 – 2023). The waste detection rate has risen from 29% to 37% (compared to October 2019) and the violation rate is 22%. This means the inspections are becoming more efficient, and are likely due to increased use of risk assessments and intelligence, according to our latest progress report. Due to Covid-19, few inspections were carried out between April and July.
In total 32,427 inspections were conducted so far, based on results of 28 countries. Most common involved waste streams are WEEE, plastic, paper and metal waste, car parts and end-of-life vehicles. The highest increase (650%) of illegal shipments concerns that of waste batteries.
Summary of key data
The overall purpose of the LIFE SWEAP (Shipment of Waste Enforcement Actions Project) project, lead by IMPEL, is to support the circular economy by disrupting the illegal waste trade at the EU level, among others by increasing skill set amongst inspectors and law enforcement agencies.
Inspecting shipments of waste, is one of the core activities of the LIFE SWEAP Project. They are performed at waste management sites and during waste shipments and are coordinated Europe-wide, involving the ‘waste chain’ approach and focusing on problematic waste streams and actors. Co-ordination of inspections and selection of targets are being completed through risk assessment and analysis of trends, patterns and nominal (criminal) activity.
Criminal trends in the global plastic waste market
