European Commission publishes material stream requests for non-OECD country applications

The Bureau of International Recycling (BIR), Brussels, has welcomed the detailed information the European Commission has published on the material streams each non-OECD country has included in its application to receive recyclables from the EU once the EU Waste Shipments Regulation (WSR) goes into force.

The BIR says the move was in response to a request from the BIR for greater transparency following the Feb. 21 deadline for countries to submit their applications under the new EU WSR. The regulation requires countries that are not part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to submit a request to the commission to continue receiving nonhazardous waste and recyclables from the EU after May 2027.

The newly released data provide clarity for recyclers across all material streams, enabling them to determine whether their specific materials and commodities have been included in their country's application, the BIR says. Although these data do not mean that each application has been accepted, it indicates the potential materials that could flow from the EU to the approved countries if their applications are accepted, the association notes, adding that this transparency reduces uncertainty for BIR members and allows for more effective business planning and supply chain management.

"We are delighted that the commission has responded constructively to our call for this critical information to be made public," BIR Director General Arnaud Brunet says. "This demonstrates the value of open dialogue between industry and policymakers and represents a positive step towards minimizing disruption to global recycling supply chains as the new regulations are implemented."

BIR reiterates that these countries and materials have not been approved by the commission as of yet. The commission will publish the final approved country list by Nov. 21, 2026.

“Particularly, we remind members that countries will only be allowed to import materials listed in Annex III of the WSR, meaning that waste codes starting with the letter A in the list will most likely not be approved by the commission,” the association notes.

Twenty-four countries submitted applications by the Feb. 21 deadline: 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.

BIR says it is committed to supporting its members through the WSR transition process and looks forward to ongoing constructive collaboration with the European Commission as WSR implementation progresses.

“Our aim is to ensure that legitimate recycling trade flows are maintained whilst meeting environmental objectives,” the association adds.