37 Acknowledged

The Government should assess the volume of PFAS containing waste expected from forthcoming restrictions and...

Recommendation
The Government should assess the volume of PFAS containing waste expected from forthcoming restrictions and determine whether UK high- temperature incineration capacity is sufficient. The Government should write to the Committee with its findings and proposed actions within six months. (Recommendation, Paragraph 124)
Government Response Summary
The government recognizes the importance of understanding waste implications and is keeping the issue under active review, noting that HSE's forthcoming opinion on PFAS in firefighting foams will set out assessments and that any transition period for restrictions would allow for new treatment capacity.
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.