The European Commission is drafting even tighter controls on exporting waste to non-OECD countries. This regulatory push, led by Stéphane Séjourné, the Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy, seeks to go beyond the revised Waste Shipment Regulation (WSR) rules currently scheduled to take effect in 2027. The move indicates a shift towards a more protectionist stance on valuable secondary raw materials.
While the upcoming 2027 rules already set a high bar by only allowing non-hazardous waste exports to approved non-OECD destinations that can prove equivalent environmental standards, these new proposals suggest an even broader clampdown. The EU is increasingly viewing waste not as a disposal burden, but as a strategic resource necessary for its own circular economy and industrial decarbonisation goals. By keeping materials like plastics and metals within its borders, the EU hopes to secure domestic supply chains and reduce reliance on virgin raw materials.
Although Türkiye is an OECD member and therefore exempt from the outright non-OECD bans, these regulatory shifts will profoundly impact the Turkish recycling sector. A tighter restriction on non-OECD exports will inevitably redirect massive volumes of European waste. This could lead to an oversupply of scrap materials within Europe, potentially lowering feedstock prices but also intensifying competition. Turkish recyclers, who rely heavily on European polymer scrap, must prepare for stricter audit requirements as the EU tightens monitoring of all waste exports, even those destined for OECD partners, to prevent circumvention.
For UK waste exporters and Turkish processors, the immediate practical takeaway is the need to review supply chain transparency. Ensuring full compliance with trace-and-track documentation will be vital, as European regulators are highly likely to increase scrutiny on transfrontier shipments to prevent illegal transshipment through OECD hubs.
