BIR says recycled materials import roster is incomplete

The European Commission (EC) has confirmed that 24 countries have submitted applications to continue receiving recycled materials beyond a May 2027 deadline imposed by a looming European Union regulation.

According to the Brussels-based Bureau of International Recycling (BIR), the two dozen nations identified by the EC have initiated the process to continue to accept scrap materials shipped from the EU after that deadline.

Although steel, aluminum, copper, cardboard and other secondary commodities with established values are covered by the looming regulation, the industrial feedstock materials are classified as “nonhazardous waste” by the EU Waste Shipments Regulation as written.

That regulation separates export destinations by whether recipients are part of the higher-gross-domestic-product Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) or if they are non-OECD countries.

The applications received from non-OECD countries by an initial Feb. 21 deadline came from Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, El Salvador, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Moldova, Monaco, Morocco, Nigeria, North-Macedonia, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Ukraine and Vietnam.

The good news for recyclers in Europe is that the list includes most of the larger-volume recipients of scrap materials exported from the continent. Notably missing from the list, however, are China and Hong Kong.

The list likely leaves off several countries with existing melt shops and paper mills and numerous others that could install such capacity in the near- or medium-term future.

A recent monthly summary of United States exported shipments of ferrous scrap prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey includes China and Hong Kong as destinations, as well as non-OECD nation Peru, which is not on the current EC list.

According to the USGS, copper-bearing scrap left the U.S. in late 2024 for two non-OECD countries that have not been in contact with the EC: China and the Dominican Republic.  Aluminum scrap, meanwhile, was shipped from the U.S. to three countries not on the EC list: Brazil, China and the Dominican Republic.

“BIR urges members in non-OECD countries that are not on this list and have not yet applied to engage with your national authorities immediately (also via your national association, if applicable) to submit applications as soon as possible,” the global recycling organization says, adding it can provide support in navigating these requirements.

“Though countries that missed the February deadline can still submit applications, there is no guarantee these will be processed in time for inclusion on the first approved list, which the EC plans to establish by Nov. 21, 2026. This timeline creates significant uncertainty for recyclers in these markets.”

The organization says the export regulation introduces “particularly extensive measures," including a complete ban on plastic scrap exports from Nov. 21, 2026.

The so-called waste shipment regulation has been criticized by BIR, the European Recycling Industries' Confederation (EuRIC) and most other recycling-related organizations based in EU nations.

“Whilst these developments are framed as advancing circular economy objectives, BIR recognizes the complex implications for the global recycling industry,” BIR says, adding that it has engaged with EU policymakers regarding potential impacts on international recycling supply chains.

BIR also says it will request the EC disclose which specific commodity streams each applicant country has included in its application.

“This information is essential for our members to determine whether their materials are covered, allowing for better business planning across our supply chains,” the association says.