EU Waste Shipment Regulation now published

The revised Waste Shipment Regulation was published today, 30 April 2024, in the Official Journal of the EU, following ratification by the Council of the European Union. The legally binding regulation will apply to all member states starting in May 2026, with some important provisions and further implementing regulations entering into force in May 2027. Thus begins the three-year transitional period for the recycling industry worldwide to assess the impact and changes that may be necessary.

BIR will continue to share the concerns of the recycling industry during the transitional period, as implementing legislation is being drafted. It will also support and inform members in their pursuit to assess the impact of the WSR on their operations.

As previously stated (in our 29 February release), BIR supports efforts to streamline procedures for exporting, but worries that lack of differentiation between material streams and large administrative burdens can hamper the international trade of recycled materials. Efficient global recycling and the path towards circularity at scale necessitates international trade in valuable recycled materials, which may be greatly affected by the approved new rules.

The Waste Shipment Regulation will be one of the topics addressed during BIR’s upcoming World Recycling Convention in Copenhagen, in the framework of the session of the International Trade Council on Monday, 27 May at 3pm.