Plastic Waste Exports from the EU to
Non-OECD Countries will be Banned from 21 November 2026
Ĝ EU Publishes Draft Waste
Import List and Assessment on Plastic Waste Exports to Türkiye
Under the Regulation, exports of plastic waste from
the EU to non-OECD countries will be banned from 21 November 2026.
·
Regulatory Context: The EU Waste Shipment Regulation (entered into force on 20 May
2024) introduces stricter controls to prevent exporting environmental
challenges to non-EU countries.
·
Non-OECD Waste Export Ban: As a general rule, waste exports from the EU to non-OECD
countries will be banned starting 21 May 2027.
·
Draft Authorisation List:
o 32 non-OECD countries requested to continue receiving waste and
demonstrated sustainable management capacities.
o The European Commission published a draft list of authorised
countries alongside an assessment report for public feedback.
o Public consultation is open until 16 October, with the
final first list to be established by the end of 2026.
·
Plastic Waste Exports to
Türkiye:
Under the new Regulation, plastic waste exports to non-OECD
countries will be banned from 21 November 2026.
o
Türkiye is the primary
OECD destination, receiving 510,000 tonnes out of 1.4 million tonnes of
EU plastic waste exported in 2025.
o
While Türkiye has
strengthened legislation and enforcement, the Commission's report highlights
concerns regarding data transparency, implementation details, and governance
arrangements.
·
Broader Statistics (2025):
o Total EU waste exports reached 32 million tonnes (40% to
non-OECD countries).
o EU plastic waste exports totaled
between 1 to 1.5 million tonnes (split evenly between OECD and non-OECD
nations, with top destinations including Türkiye, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam,
and the United Kingdom).
<List
of countries to which exports are authorised>
[ABS News Service/19.09.2026]
The
European Commission published a draft list of non-OECD countries on18 September,
2026 that could be authorised to import non-hazardous waste from the EU after
May 2027 under the Waste Shipment Regulation
The Regulation, adopted in 2024, introduces stricter rules
on waste exports, designed to ensure that the EU does not export its waste
challenges to non-EU countries. In particular, it significantly tightens rules
on waste exports to non-OECD countries. As a general principle, the EU will no
longer export waste to non-OECD countries from 21 May 2027.
As an exception, exports may be authorised to non-OECD
countries that explicitly request to continue receiving waste from the EU and
demonstrate that they can manage it in a sustainable manner. 32 countries
submitted such requests to the Commission. The Commission has assessed these
requests, including the countries capacity to manage waste sustainably. The
result of this assessment is summarised in a report published with the draft
list of countries on which the Commission is now seeking feedback.
Stakeholders are encouraged to take part in the online
consultation on this draft List, which is open until 16 October.
The first list of countries authorised to receive waste
from the EU will be established by the end of 2026. This list will be
updated regularly and at least every two years, with the possibility for
countries which are not on the list to (re)apply.
The Commission also published its assessment report on the
sustainable management of plastic waste exported from the EU to Türkiye. The
report is published under the EUs new Waste
Shipment Regulation, which introduces stricter rules for exports
of plastic waste to countries outside the EU.
Under the Regulation, exports of plastic waste from the EU
to non-OECD countries will be banned from 21 November 2026.
The Commission must monitor exports of plastic waste to
OECD countries and assess whether importing countries can manage that waste in
an environmentally sound manner.
The assessment has focused on the exports of plastic waste
from the EU to Türkiye, considering that Türkiye is the main OECD destination
for plastic waste exported from the EU. In 2025, exports from the EU to Türkiye
reached 510,000 tonnes,
out of a total of 1.4
million tonnes of plastic waste exported by the EU that year.
The report provides an overview of plastic waste management
in Türkiye, including data on waste generated and imported, on management and
shipment of waste legislation, as well as on its enforcement. It also reflects
concerns raised by a range of stakeholders regarding challenges linked to
plastic waste management in the country.
The assessment acknowledges that Türkiye has strengthened
its legislation on plastic waste management and imports and has taken steps to
improve enforcement, including through increased controls and higher fines.
At the same time, the report identifies several areas where
further information and progress are needed. These include:
·
Lack
of transparency on
data on plastic waste generation and treatment, including on the impact of
imported waste on the management of domestic waste
·
Insufficient
information on how
legislation is being implemented to prevent environmental harm linked to
imported plastic waste; and
·
Unclear
governance
arrangements for plastic waste management
The Commission looks forward to engaging with Türkiye's
competent authorities on the report's findings. It will continue monitoring EU
plastic waste exports to Türkiye and remains committed to strengthening
bilateral cooperation with Türkiye on waste management.
The EU exported 32 million tonnes of waste in 2025 around
40% of these exports are destined for non-OECD countries.
The waste exported from the EU is often managed in
conditions which are much less environmentally sound than in the EU. This can
be particularly problematic in developing and emerging countries, which already
face challenges dealing with their domestic waste and are expected to
experience the highest growth in waste generation in the future.
In some cases, waste imports from developed countries
undermine progress toward better domestically generated waste management.
The EU generates around 40 million tonnes of plastic waste every
year and exports between 1
and 1.5 million tonnes annually.
In 2025, around half of EU plastic waste exports went to
OECD countries and half to non-OECD countries. Besides Türkiye, the main
destination countries in 2025 were Malaysia
(276,000 tonnes), Indonesia
(215,000 tonnes), Vietnam
(137,000 tonnes) and the United
Kingdom (108,000 tonnes).
The new EU Waste Shipment Regulation entered into force on
20 May 2024 to ensure the EU takes greater responsibility for its waste.