Minister: "We throw Away Our Own Future When We Export"

19 June 2026

On Thursday 11 June, ATF Professional hosted its 2026 Conference at the British Motor Museum.

The conference featured a range of sessions focused on the vehicle recycling sector, including:

• The growing role of AI in vehicle dismantling
• Challenges surrounding EV batteries
• Current market conditions within vehicle recycling
• A detailed look at Toyota Europe’s vehicle recycling facility in Burnaston

Minister addresses delegates

A key highlight for BMRA members was a 25-minute presentation by Mary Creagh MP, Member of Parliament for Coventry East.

Officially serving as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Nature, Minister Creagh is the Government minister responsible for the circular economy. As a result, engaging with her and understanding the Government's priorities is of significant importance to the BMRA.

Scrap metal and the circular economy

Minister Creagh opened by highlighting the vital role that scrap metals play in supporting the competitiveness of UK manufacturing.

She explained that the UK Government has recently established the Metals Circularity Group, which aims to:

• Ensure a sustainable supply of high-quality scrap for the domestic steel sector.
• Strengthen circular economy supply chains for steel, aluminium and critical minerals.

The BMRA will play a key role within this group.

Battery regulations under review

For businesses processing batteries—or those that have experienced battery-related fires—the Minister confirmed that the Government is reviewing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for batteries.

A public consultation is expected to be launched in the autumn. Among the areas under consideration is the alignment of the UK's Best Available Techniques (BAT) with those used by the European Union.

Export concerns

One of the most significant parts of the Minister's presentation focused on metal exports.

She stated:

"We throw away our own future when we export [metals]."

The Minister also spoke at length about concerns that rogue operators are exporting materials, depriving the UK of valuable resources while contributing to environmental harm.

As a result, she confirmed that the Government is reviewing green list waste shipments, including those involving steel.

What this could mean

If changes are introduced following the review, export markets for steel could become considerably more restricted under waste shipment controls. This could result in:

• Increased administrative requirements for exports.
• Greater burdens on accessing existing export markets.
• Some markets only being available where material has achieved end-of-waste status.

At this stage, however, no final decisions have been made, and any policy changes are unlikely to be introduced in the immediate future.

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