Page 40 from: Recycling International January/February issue 2023

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Tackling illegal waste or
hampering free trade?
Significant changes proposed for the move-

ment of waste within the European Union and

between other countries are moving closer to

the statute book. Tightening up on illegal

exports of waste is widely welcomed but recy-

clers are concerned at ‘back-door protection-

ism’.

tries that give consent and demon-
strate the ability to treat the waste sus-
tainably. MEPs also supported a
Commission proposal to explicitly pro-
hibit shipments within the EU of all
wastes destined for disposal, except in
limited and well-justified cases.
The new rules would also include digi-
talising the exchange of information
and documents within the internal mar-
ket. It’s argued that storing information
in a central electronic system will
improve data reporting, analysis and
transparency.

‘BACK-DOOR PROTECTIONISM’
BIR, meanwhile, maintains that exports
to countries outside the EU – both
OECD and developing (non-OECD)
countries – will be considerably bur-
dened by intergovernmental agree-
ments and inspections, audits and
checks on facilities in third countries. It
notes there are further legislative steps
to undergo at the Council of Ministers
before the new WSR can be imple-
mented so BIR will be working with its
members to secure their future busi-
ness.
‘Moreover, the worldwide concern
about plastic pollution will likely lead
to a prohibition on plastic recyclables
exports from the EU, and furthermore
has led to harsher conditions on
exports of other recyclables desired by
industries around the world,’ BIR
insists.
BIR president Tom Bird is concerned at
the potential damage to the interna-
tional recycling industry. ‘These regula-
tions represent a thinly disguised back-
door protectionism that puts our indus-
try in danger while severely disrupting
the global circular economy,’ he says.
‘It should be blatantly clear to every-
body that the trade of vital raw materi-
als such as recycled metals should not
be restricted. BIR as an organisation
remains fully committed to ensuring
exactly that – free trade of recyclables
in a global circular economy.’

LACK OF HARMONY
EuRIC, an umbrella organisation for
European recyclers, says it is encour-
aged by the Parliament’s support of
the proposals to facilitate the export of
recycled materials within the EU, such

In mid-January, Members of the
European Parliament largely backed
proposed changes to the 2013 Waste
Shipment Regulation (WSR) but the
Bureau of International Recycling (BIR)
is ‘very concerned regarding its poten-
tial impact on the global circular econ-
omy’.
Meanwhile, EuRIC has expressed dis-
may at the development, citing major
inconsistencies undermining the trade
of recycled materials. It applauds man-
datory recycled content targets for

plastics but says a failure to consider
targets for metals and paper is a signif-
icant omission that will erode demand
and impede green investment in new
and upscaled recycling facilities in
Europe.
Parliament’s Environment Committee
agrees with the Commission that EU
exports of hazardous waste to non-
OECD countries should be prohibited.
It also believes that EU exports of non-
hazardous waste for recovery would
only be allowed to non-OECD coun-

A U T H O R Robin Latchem

BIR maintains that exports to countries outside the EU – both OECD and developing (non-OECD) countries – will be considerably burdened by
intergovernmental agreements and inspections, audits and checks on facilities in third countries.

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