EU drafts waste export list as Tomra urges recycling investment

The European Commission (EC) has published a draft list of countries outside the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

What happened

Non-hazardous waste includes recovered paper and cardboard, metal scrap, glass, and certain textiles and rubber, depending on composition and contamination levels.

Why it matters

The Regulation states that the EU will no longer export non-hazardous waste to non-OECD countries from May 2027 — unless a country explicitly requests to continue to receive exports and can demonstrate processing capabilities.According to the EC, 32 countries have submitted requests to continue receiving waste exports, which it has evaluated based on the capacity of each country to manage waste.Plastic waste is subject to a separate ban in which EU exports to non-OECD countries will be prohibited from November 21, 2026, until at least May 21, 2029.Securing EU recyclingAccording to the EC, the EU generates around 40 million metric tons of plastic waste annually and exports between 1 and 1.5 million metric tons each year.

The plan outlined that “urgent action” is needed by EU member states to boost the recycling sector, which faces high energy costs, low prices for virgin plastic, and a lack of demand for recycled plastics.Ringel stresses that Europe “cannot build a circular economy” if valuable plastic resources continue to leave the system before they are “properly sorted and recycled.”“The goal should not be to stop responsible trade, but to ensure that more materials are recovered at high quality, close to where they are consumed, and kept in productive use for as long as possible.”Responsible waste tradeIn 2025, reportedly around half of EU plastic waste exports went to OECD countries and half to non-OECD countries, according to the EC.

Receiving systems should demonstrate comparable treatment standards, reliable traceability, credible certification, and effective enforcement.”This, Ringel argues, requires system-level equivalence and assessment of the wider regulatory and operational framework.Enhancing the PPWRRingel links tighter waste export controls to achieving the PPWR’s recycled-content targets, highlighting that its obligations “must become bankable” for investors.Tomra calls for clear PPWR rules to support investment and verify imported recycled plastics.Recently, Tomra joined more than 30 industry partners calling for clear PPWR Article 7 rules, stipulating that imported recycled plastics only count toward EU targets if they meet equivalent processing standards.Ringel argues: “Investors need clear, enforceable, and consistent rules on what counts as recycled content.

This news brief is based on reporting published by Packaging Insights on 2026-10-05. The original report is linked below.