Plastic Waste Shipments (previous Chinese Import Ban on Plastic Waste)

Year
2019 - 2024
Status
Completed
Lead country and contact

Ireland I Brian White

Tags Good practice Recycling Waste management Waste shipment

Project description

It is estimated that prior to 2018, China accepted 7 million tonnes of plastic waste for recovery. By introducing the ban on the imports of plastic waste, China caused a shock to the global waste plastics trade. The resultant displaced waste has been mostly sent to neighbouring Asian countries. Most of these countries do not have the capacity to process this volume in anESM. Further information is required on these waste flows to better educate policy makers and regulators and discover the ultimate end destination for these waste flows.

The Basel Convention plastic waste amendments are due to come into effect in January 2021. Some uncertainty exists, particularly with OECD countries outside the EU, as to how these amendments will be enforced. The EU has introduced amendments which bring additional plastic wastes under greenlist control, compared with the Basel Convention text. This has the potential to distort the market in EU MS that are close to third countries. We consider that greater clarification of codes would be of benefit to CA enforcement officers throughout Europe which could also be shared with CAs outside of Europe.

The project aims to:

  • Assist competent authorities with the enforcement of the Basel plastic waste amendments by providing documented guidance and assistance through a series of webinars.
  • Obtain a better understanding of end destinations for Irish and European plastic waste.
  • Provide regulators with a better understanding of waste plastic flows, particularly to Asian countries and how Customs interacts with the WSR.

Project Outputs

Plastic Waste Shipment Project Report / 2024

This report summarizes a five-year IMPEL project focused on assisting inspectors in enforcing plastic waste shipment regulations in light of China's 2018 import ban and the 2019 Basel Convention amendments. The project developed guidance for inspectors, conducted surveys and webinars, and identified ongoing challenges in implementing the regulations, such as loopholes exploited by shippers and difficulties in interpreting key terms.

Plastic Waste Shipments Guidance for Inspectors/ 2022

This guidance produced by IMPEL, provides inspectors with information on enforcing national legislation related to shipments of plastic waste. It addresses the challenges posed by the Basel Convention's plastic waste amendments, including the classification of plastic waste, determining contamination levels, and understanding the requirements for "green-list" waste shipments. The guidance includes practical examples and frequently asked questions to aid inspectors in their enforcement activities.

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