Published
The EU's new Waste Shipment Regulation makes it much harder to send waste, including old electronics, out of the region. E-waste exports to countries outside the OECD have been banned since 1 January 2025. The result? More of Europe's scrap, and the metals inside it, will have to be recycled closer to home. For anyone following global supply chains closely, this move is just the latest sign of an increasingly security-minded world.
What is the EU Waste Shipment Regulation?
The Waste Shipment Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2024/1157, sets the rules for moving waste between EU countries and in and out of the EU. It replaced the 2006 regulation, entered into force on 20 May 2024, and most of its provisions have applied since 21 May 2026. Since then, shipment procedures have been carried out electronically through a central EU system.
It has three broad aims, according to the European Commission: making sure the EU does not export its waste problems to other countries, cracking down on illegal waste shipments, and making shipments within the EU easier to trace so that more waste is recycled and reused.
| Date | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2025 | All e-waste exports to non-OECD countries prohibited. Exports to OECD countries need prior consent from the destination. | European Commission |
| 21 May 2026 | Most of the new regulation applies. Shipment procedures move online. | European Commission |
| 21 November 2026 | Plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries banned, at least until 21 May 2029. | European Commission |
| 21 May 2027 | Non-hazardous waste exports to non-OECD countries prohibited, unless the country is on the approved list for that waste. | European Commission |
The EU e-waste export ban
For electronics, the door closed early. Under amendments to the Basel Convention, the global treaty on hazardous waste trade, all e-waste became subject to prior consent from 1 January 2025, whether or not it is classed as hazardous. The EU went further. Since that date, it has prohibited all e-waste exports to non-OECD countries, and exports to OECD countries need the destination's consent before they leave. Exports of hazardous waste for recovery, and of any waste for disposal, to non-OECD countries were already banned.
The line that matters is between waste and second-hand goods. Used electronics shipped for reuse are not waste, but under Annex VI of the WEEE Directive the exporter has to be able to prove it, including records showing that every item in the shipment has been tested or evaluated. Without that proof, authorities treat the items as e-waste and presume the shipment is illegal.
Which countries can still receive EU waste?
Non-OECD countries that want to keep importing non-hazardous EU waste after May 2027 had to apply and show they can manage it in an environmentally sound way. The Commission received requests from 32 countries and published a draft list on 18 September 2026. The Commission says the first list will be established by the end of 2026 and updated at least every two years.
Metal scrap was treated with particular caution. In the draft, metal waste exports would be allowed to only five countries, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine, while India, Indonesia and Malaysia were not approved for metal waste, SteelOrbis reported. The draft can still change before it is adopted.
How much waste does the EU export?
The EU exported 32 million tonnes of waste in 2025, about 40% of it to non-OECD countries, according to the Commission. That included 1.4 million tonnes of plastic waste. Türkiye took 510,000 tonnes, followed by Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and the UK.
Why Europe is keeping electronics at home
Old electronics are among the few sources of copper, gold, silver and palladium that Europe already has, and recovering those metals is known as urban mining. Circuit boards contain copper and precious metals, one characterisation study found, and every tonne recycled in Europe is a tonne of supply that does not have to be imported or mined.
That links the shipment rules to the critical minerals shortage. Under the Critical Raw Materials Act, the EU wants recycling to supply 25% of its yearly use of strategic raw materials by 2030, and 19 of the 46 Strategic Projects named in October 2026 are recycling projects. Those plants need feedstock, and collection is still the weak point: the EU collected 39% of its e-waste in 2024, against a 65% target, according to Eurostat.
The next step is the Circular Economy Act, which is expected to revise the WEEE Directive. The Commission's own agenda lists the proposal for early December 2026, with 2 December the current provisional date.
What the EU waste shipment rules mean for the UK
The UK is outside the EU but is an OECD member, so the non-OECD bans do not apply to EU shipments to the UK. Those shipments still face the stricter procedures: e-waste sent from the EU to the UK needs prior consent, and the Commission monitors exports to OECD countries and can suspend them if waste is not managed in an environmentally sound way. The UK has its own recycling goal: Vision 2035, the UK Critical Minerals Strategy, aims for recycling to meet 20% of critical mineral demand by 2035.
Majestic Corporation plc (AQSE: MCJ) operates a 50,000 sq ft facility in Wrexham, Wales, supported by its wholly-owned subsidiary Telecycle. The site handles over 30,000 tonnes of material categories every year, including waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).
Have WEEE, IT equipment or end-of-life solar panels to recycle? Contact the Majestic team to talk more.
EU waste shipment rules: frequently asked questions
What is the EU Waste Shipment Regulation?
It is Regulation (EU) 2024/1157, the EU law on moving waste within, into and out of the EU. It entered into force on 20 May 2024, and most of its provisions have applied since 21 May 2026.
Can the EU still export e-waste?
Not to non-OECD countries. All e-waste exports to non-OECD countries have been prohibited since 1 January 2025. Exports to OECD countries are allowed only with the destination country's prior consent.
When does the EU ban plastic waste exports?
Plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries are banned from 21 November 2026, at least until 21 May 2029. Exports to OECD countries need prior consent and are monitored by the Commission.
Which countries can still import EU waste?
From 21 May 2027, non-hazardous waste can go to non-OECD countries only if they are on the EU's approved list for that type of waste. The first list is expected by the end of 2026. OECD countries can still receive EU waste under the regulation's procedures.
Do the EU waste shipment rules apply to the UK?
They apply to waste shipped from the EU to the UK. Because the UK is an OECD member, the non-OECD bans do not cover those shipments, but e-waste needs prior consent and the Commission monitors exports to OECD countries.
Why does it matter for critical minerals?
E-waste contains metals such as copper, gold, silver and palladium. Keeping it in Europe supports the EU's goal for recycling to supply 25% of its yearly use of strategic raw materials by 2030.
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