36 Acknowledged

PFAS contamination cannot be addressed without reliable destruction capacity.

Conclusion
PFAS contamination cannot be addressed without reliable destruction capacity. Current UK incineration capacity is insufficient to treat the increasing volume of PFAS containing waste diverted from landfill, and significant gaps remain in the availability, scalability, and verification of other destruction technologies. (Conclusion, Paragraph 123)
Government Response Summary
The government recognises the importance of understanding waste management implications and is keeping the issue under active review, noting that current capacity constraints exist. They anticipate an HSE opinion and potential transition periods will inform future understanding of capacity requirements.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government Acknowledged
The government recognises the importance of understanding the implications of PFAS restrictions for waste management infrastructure, including whether sufficient treatment and disposal capacity is available to manage additional PFAS-containing waste safely. We are keeping this issue under active review. HSE’s forthcoming Final Opinion on PFAS in firefighting foams, expected later in 2026, will set out their overall assessment of any potential restriction and the challenges involved. The issue of PFAS waste treatment has been considered in HSE’s restriction proposal work on PFAS-containing firefighting foams. We recognise that capacity constraints already exist, with facilities continuing to manage waste arising from restrictions on PFOS and PFOA under the POPs regime. Should a restriction on PFAS in firefighting foams be introduced, any transition period would provide an opportunity for additional treatment capacity to come online, including the development and deployment of new technologies capable of destroying or irreversibly transforming PFAS. This work, alongside ongoing engagement between Defra, EA, and the waste sector, will help inform our understanding of future treatment and disposal capacity requirements, including the role of high-temperature incineration.