EU bans export of plastic waste starting January 1

The ban on the export of plastic waste began on January 1 following the issuance of the rules by the European Union’s executive branch. The rules are in accordance with the EU bloc’s Circular Economy Action Plan and European Green Deal and amends the EU’s 2006 Waste Shipment Regulation. These apply to exports, imports, and intra-E.U. shipments of plastic waste, according to a European Commission (EC) statement.

Under the revised rules, the EU members may no longer export hazardous and hard-to-recycle plastic waste to countries that are not part of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Export of plastic waste to non-OECD countries will only be allowed subject to prior notification and consent of the importing country.

According to EC estimate, the EU in 2019 exported 1.5 million tonnes of plastic waste mostly to Turkey and Asian countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, India and China. The share of exported plastic waste to China has declined since the country imposed restrictions on the import of plastic waste in 2019.  It has been pointed out that the plastic waste problem in Asian countries is aggravated by the shipment of plastic waste from developed countries that a number of Southeast Asian countries have started to ban the entry of plastic waste to their territories.