Plastic Waste Shipments

The EU strictly regulates all plastic waste shipments within Europe and OECD member states.

by European Comission

Overview

In the last decade, the rapid rise of uncontrolled trade in plastic waste has severely damaged both public health and global ecosystems.

To combat this crisis, the EU has systematically tightened its legal framework to take full responsibility for its own waste and prevent environmental exploitation abroad.

In 2020, the EU legally adopted internationally agreed changes into its own Waste Shipment Regulation. This update introduced strict entry codes to track and monitor waste based on its safety profile and destination.

Most recently, the EU drastically escalated these protections under the updated Waste Shipment Regulation. This latest law enforces mandatory tracking for complex or hazardous waste and introduces a historic, comprehensive ban on all plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries, set to take full effect later this year.


Objectives

The rules below aim to end plastic waste exports to third countries lacking the capacity and standards to manage it sustainably, while enforcing strict controls where transboundary shipments are still permitted.

•     Basel Convention amendments on plastic waste
•     Waste Shipments Regulation (EU) 2024/1157

Plastic waste shipments under the Waste Shipments Regulation

Different procedures apply depending on the type and destination of plastic waste (intra-EU, OECD, or non-OECD).

The Waste Shipment Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 introduces new rules for the export of waste outside the EU. It also contains specific rules for plastic waste exports, depending on the type and destination.

See here for summary tables on the procedures for the import and export of plastic waste, as well as within the EU.

Exporting plastic waste, including clean, non-hazardous waste (which is destined for recycling) (B3011), will be subject to the 'prior notification and consent procedure'. This requirement applies from 21 May 2026. 

Exporters of plastic waste, similarly as in the case of other waste, have to demonstrate that the waste exported is properly managed in the facility located in the recipient country to which it is shipped. Therefore, they must ensure that independent audits are carried out in such facilities, demonstrating that these facilities manage waste in an environmentally sound manner. This requirement will apply from 21 May 2027.

From 21 November 2026, there will be a complete ban on such exports, at least until 21 May 2029.

After this period, non-OECD countries interested in importing plastic waste must notify the European Commission and demonstrate their capacity to manage such waste in an environmentally sound manner if they wish to be included in the list of non-OECD countries to which plastic waste may be exported from the EU.

The request to import EU plastic waste can only cover non-hazardous plastic waste (B3011). 

The Commission will monitor exports of waste to such countries, paying particular attention to plastic waste. If there are concerns that exports are increasing and likely to cause environmental damage in a given destination country, the Commission will engage in dialogue with this country. Ultimately, such exports will be suspended if the waste is not managed in an environmentally sustainable manner. 

The Commission is also tasked with assessing countries that import significant volumes of EU plastic waste to ensure they manage it in an environmentally sound manner.

This evaluation will verify that these exports do not cause significant damage to local environments or human health, while also ensuring that OECD countries do not re-export EU plastic waste to third countries. An assessment is scheduled for publication soon.

    Importing hazardous plastic waste (A3210/AC300) and plastic waste that is hard to recycle (Y48)into the EU from third countries is subject to the 'prior notification and consent procedure'. Under this procedure, both the importing and exporting countries must authorise the shipment.

Intra-EU shipments

    The 'prior notification and consent procedure' also applies to intra-EU shipments of hazardous plastic waste (AC300), and of non-hazardous plastic waste (that is difficult to recycle) (EU48).
    All intra-EU shipments of non-hazardous plastic waste for recovery (EU3011) are exempt from these new controls. For shipments of such waste, general information requirements apply.

The new entries EU3011 and EU48 for non-hazardous plastic waste are largely modelled on the entries agreed in the Basel Convention, but with some differences.


Timeline

Key dates related to EU rules on shipments of plastic waste

• 21 May 2029
  Non-OECD countries wishing to import EU plastic waste may file a request to be excluded from the export ban. 

• 21 November 2026
  Exports of all plastic waste to non-OECD countries will be banned.

• 21 May 2026
  Exports of all plastic waste are subject to "prior notification and consent procedure”. 

• 11 April 2024
  New Waste Shipments Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 is adopted. 

• 1 January 2021
  Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/2174 on plastic waste shipments enters into force   

• May 2019
  The 14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention took place

Get full article here [external link]

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published: , 6|2026
Keywords: Policy Tax Instruments, Resource management, Plastics, EU