EU pledges plastic waste export bans: Do the restrictions go far enough?

21 Nov 2023 --- The European Commission, Parliament and Council have pledged a blanket ban on all plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries after years of pressure from environmentalists and civil society groups. While the move, which is yet to be ratified, is being celebrated, some groups claim it does not go far enough. 

Negotiators at the Parliament and Council reached a “provisional political agreement” to alter the EU’s Waste Shipment Regulation, which is now awaiting formal approval by both institutions. The changes are expected to make exporting plastic waste to non-OECD countries prohibited within 2.5 years, and obligations for exporting plastic waste to OECD countries will be strengthened. 

Shipping waste destined for disposal in another EU country will only be allowed “exceptionally.”

“This is a signal that the EU is finally beginning to take responsibility for its role in the global plastic pollution emergency,” says Lauren Weir, senior campaigner at the Environmental Investigation Agency.

“It is now for EU member states to ensure that every effort is made so that future EU plastic waste exports are managed in an environmentally sound manner and do not negatively impact the recycling capacities of recipient countries — whether this is possible remains to be seen.” 

Much of the EU’s plastic trash ends up being dumped or burned in poorer global regions.The decision was made during the UN’s INC-3 negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty in Nairobi, Kenya, last week. Currently, the EU is one of the largest producers and exporters of plastic waste globally and faces significant levels of waste crime. The European Anti-Fraud Office estimates the EU’s illicit waste trade is worth more than human trafficking. 

Not far enough? 
While the announcement steps in the right direction, some campaigners say the proposed change to the regulation will not impact many OECD countries, where the waste trade is most harmful. 

Dr. Sedat Gündoğdu, a microplastics researcher at Çukurova University in Türkiye, says: “It is disappointing to not see a total export ban on shipments – and not even a ban on hazardous and mixed plastic waste — to Turkey, which is both the largest importer of plastic waste in the EU and an OECD member.” 

“We know from past practices that partial bans and ineffective content controls do not prevent the illegal circulation of plastic waste. While this decision represents a step forward in the right direction, these new regulations imply that Turkey may be exposed to more EU plastic waste.” 

In 2022, the EU exported more than one million tons of plastic waste to countries where plastic waste imports are often mismanaged, dumped or openly burned: 50% of it went to non-OECD countries like Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand, while 33% was shipped to Türkiye alone. 

“Now, our only option is to strive for the environmentally sound management of future exports of EU plastic waste by EU member states and to ensure that it does not adversely affect the waste management of importing countries,” says Gündoğdu. 

Coalition against “Waste Colonialism” 
Recently, the Break Free From Plastic movement, Rethink Plastic alliance, Environmental Investigation Agency, Eko and WeMove raised 180,000 signatures on a petition imploring the EU to implement a blanket ban on plastic waste exports to both non-OECD and OECD countries. 

Campaigners say the practice of sending plastic waste, such as packaging, to countries that do not have the waste management infrastructure or law enforcement capacity to ensure proper disposal creates a danger to human and environmental health and takes advantage of vulnerable nations. 

Even if restricted, the exception of OECD countries may not be enough to prevent cheap methods like incineration from occurring in areas where the local population is exposed to dangerous emissions. 

In a Human Rights Watch report published last year, it was found that children, undocumented migrants and asylum seekers are being compelled to work in dangerous conditions throughout Türkiye’s plastic recycling industry. 

By Louis Gore-Langton