European Parliament’s ENVI Committee Breaks Free from the harmful Plastic Waste Trade in full extra-EU ban

Brussels  – 1 December 2022 

In a landmark decision, the European Parliament Environment (ENVI) Committee voted today in favour of a ban on EU plastic waste exports and stronger safeguarding measures for intra-EU plastic waste shipments.

The Break Free From Plastic movement and Rethink Plastic alliance have strongly advocated for the EU to end the export of plastic waste outside the Union and EFTA, to both OECD (e.g. Turkey) and non-OECD (e.g. Malaysia) countries. This is due to the unparalleled body of evidence and real-world experiences that demonstrate that this trade causes environmental and human health harm in recipient countries.In 2021, EU plastic waste exports to all countries amounted to 1,135 million kilos, with 43% of said exports going to non-OECD countries and 35% going to Turkey. Certain EU Member States have even been increasing their plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries and Turkey in 2022. 

“The ENVI Committee’s decision to support a ban on plastic waste exports is a landmark moment in EU policy making. The export of plastic waste from high-income countries, like EU Member States, is unethical and exploitative. That this has been recognised is a great step forward, it is now imperative that the European Parliament Plenary and Council follow suit.” said Lauren Weir, Senior Ocean Campaigner at the Environmental Investigation Agency. 

Theresa Mörsen, Waste Policy Officer at Zero Waste Europe said: “A ban puts the onus of treating waste on the EU Member States and paves the way for more effective management of waste as well as encouraging plastic use reduction via reuse and prevention instead of offshoring this toxic burden.” 

The vote is also welcomed by members of the Break Free From Plastic movement in receiving countries of EU plastic waste.

“This vote will protect communities who have had to bear with pollution from plastic waste exported by rich industrialised countries for decades, especially in Asia. Mismanaged foreign plastic waste has contaminated our lands, food, water, and air with microplastics and toxics. People living around these sites helplessly watch their family members fall sick – across generations. This is an urgent matter of environmental injustice. Europe should account for the real cost of its plastic waste,” said Pui Yi Wong, Waste Trade Project Coordinator at Break Free From Plastic Asia Pacific.

As thoroughly evidenced by Rethink Plastic alliance members, the ban would address issues recipient countries face as a result of plastic waste imports, in addition to the fact that plastic waste exports are a pathway thoroughly exploited by waste criminals and drive domestic recycling capacity displacement in recipient countries. However, it is not just destination countries outside of the EU that fall victim to the negative impacts of this trade. Many EU Member States are also suffering, in part as a consequence of a growing number of countries closing their borders to EU plastic waste. Hence the Waste Shipment Regulation must outline adequate safeguarding policies to protect all EU Member States. 

One such essential measure the EU can put in place for intra-EU shipments of plastic waste is the full transposition of the Basel Convention, namely the requirement of Prior Informed Consent from a receiving country for a plastic waste shipment that is mixed, contaminated and not destined for recycling – given it is more vulnerable to mismanagement and illegality. Fortunately, today, the ENVI committee decided to put an end to the damaging exception to this Basel Convention requirement the EU currently has in place.

With the first Global Plastics Treaty negotiations currently underway in Uruguay, the next two years will be crucial in framing a global, legally binding agreement to solve the problem of plastic pollution. One of the key solutions is to reduce plastic production in addition to redesigning materials, products and systems, which would also prevent plastic waste generation. The ENVI Committee’s vote today shows that the EU is on its way to acknowledging how plastic waste exports act as a loophole, also enabling the continued high levels of EU plastic production and consumption.  

The European Parliament plenary will vote on the Waste Shipment Regulation in January, with the Council to also set its position early next year.

ENDS

Contacts

Niamh Cullen, Communications Coordinator at the Rethink Plastic alliance [email protected], +32 497 83 23 24 

Lauren Weir, Senior Ocean Campaigner at the Environmental Investigation Agency

[email protected], 

Theresa Mörsen, Waste Policy Officer at Zero Waste Europe [email protected] 

For further information: 

The Truth behind Trash – Environmental Investigation Agency 

The Health Impacts of Plastic Recycling in Turkey – Human Rights Watch 

The Plastic Waste Trade Manifesto – Break Free From Plastic

Indonesia Waste Trade Update 2022: Focusing on Plastic and Paper Waste in Indonesia – Nexus3 Foundation  

Malaysia is Not a “Garbage Dump” – Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism

Discarded: Communities on the Frontlines of the Global Plastic Crisis – Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives