The European Union is shipping a large amount of its waste across the world, generating negative environmental, social and economic impacts for receiving communities. That’s why we are calling for more stringent regulations on waste shipment outside of the European Union.
Waste Trade
Mixed waste has, for many years, been shipped from countries in the Global North to the Global South for treatment. However, what has recently become clear is that this trade has severe consequences for people and the planet.
With increasingly lackluster waste sorting coming from the Global North, it is no longer economically feasible for countries in the Global South to tackle this waste disposal & management. Moreover, such practices are at odds with the European’s circular economy principles. As a result, we are calling for Europe’s waste to stay in Europe on the basis of the proximity principle.
Zero Waste Europe will work to highlight the injustices of the waste trade, while promoting real solutions to waste management at the city level, through increased traceability, a shift to a circular economy, zero waste societies and waste prevention across Europe in general.
Want to know more about our work on Waste Trade?
Here are a few related posts...
Library for Waste Trade
Library for Waste Trade
NGOs response to the draft Commission Delegated Regulation on shipments of waste
We joined forces with the other organisations of the Basel Action Network to urge the European Commission to rectify its current trajectory by adopting provisions that offer the same level of
environmental protection as the Basel Convention, for intra-EU plastic waste trade.
Available in English
NGOs Response to informal call for comments on the Draft Commission Delegated Regulation to implement recent changes to the Basel Convention
We joined forces with the other organisations of the Basel Action Network – Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Environmental Investigation Agency, European Environmental Bureau – to comment on the Delegated Regulation to transpose the Basel COP14 plastic waste amendments found in Decision 14/12 into the Waste Shipment Regulation (WSR) of the European Union.
Available in English
Feedback on the Inception impact assessment of Waste Shipment Regulation (WSR)
We joined forces with the European Environmental Bureau to provide our feedback on the inception impact assessment (IIA) of the WSR stressing the intention to stop exporting waste outside the EU and revisit existing rules.
Available in English
Changing trends in plastic waste trade: Plastic Waste shipments report
As plastic waste has grown so has the industry surrounding it. A large amount of plastic waste is exported to countries in the Global South. Our report looks at the issues arising from the global waste trade.
Available in: English
