International shipments of waste
Do you import or export waste?
If so, you need to be aware that shipments of waste are subject to a range of regulatory controls. You can read more about the rules you must comply with on these pages.
What's new?
The rules on the export of 'green list' waste that came in to force in November 2007 have been amended.
The amending regulation provides some additional responses and provides corrections to some previous entries. A summary of the controls that apply for commonly exported waste streams and destinations is available below. The latest information on the regulation that applies to ‘green list’ wastes is available from the DG Trade website below.
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Controls on exports of green list waste to non-OECD countries - August 2008 update (Acrobat, 48KB, 20 seconds)
- Regulation 1418/2007/EC
- Amending Regulation 740/2008/EC
- DG Trade website
International shipments of waste
At the bottom of this page you can find links to some of the EU and UK Regulations and Policies covering such shipments and to our guide 'An introduction to moving waste between countries' that provides an overview of the different types of controls that can apply.
How you need to manage your international shipment of waste will depend on:
- Whether the waste is being sent for recovery or disposal - most shipments for disposal are prohibited, and if they are allowed they are subject to notifications controls.
- If being moved for recovery, the type of waste - European legislation contains several annexes specifying different types of hazardous and non hazardous waste. We have simplified these into one 'Consolidated waste list' available in the link below.
- The 'status' of the countries of dispatch and destination - if you are moving waste within the EU, the procedures are different from those that apply if you are moving waste out of or into the EU or to and from OECD countries.
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Consolidated waste list (Acrobat, 201KB, 2 mins)
- EU countries
- Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
International waste shipments from the UK can be:
Prohibited - movements not allowed under any circumstances including almost all:
- imports and exports for disposal
- exports of hazardous waste to developing countries, even if moving for recovery
or subject to:
Notification controls - these apply to all permitted imports and exports of:
- hazardous waste moving for recovery
- any type of waste moving for disposal
- and to some imports and exports of non-hazardous wastes for recovery
Where these controls apply you need our written permission before moving the waste and you must comply with a range of other requirements. See Notification controls below.
Or shipments could be subject to:
Green list controls - these are the lowest level of control and only ever apply to some (but not all) imports or exports of non-hazardous waste for recovery. Where these controls apply you do not need our permission before moving the waste but you must comply with a range of other requirements. See Green list controls below.
How can I find out which controls apply to my shipment?
If you are intending to ship waste from the UK to another country, see our guide 'Moving waste between countries: determining the controls on waste exports'. If you are bringing waste into the UK from abroad read 'Moving waste between countries: determining the controls on waste imports'.
I am a UK company receiving waste from overseas, what are my responsibilities?
If you are receiving waste within the UK you must ensure the proper procedures have been followed. You will need to know if the waste import is allowed and, if so, under what controls. You will also be required to complete specified documents on receipt and completion of the recovery or disposal of the waste and, in the case of waste subject to notification controls, send copies of those documents to the person who sent the waste and to the relevant regulatory authorities. In all cases you will need to keep copies of the documents relating to the imported waste.
Enforcement priorities
The Environment Agency is responsible for enforcing the regulation of shipments of waste into and out of England and Wales. The following link summarises our priorities for enforcing the requirements of the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste (TFS) Regulations 2007 for both shipments to and from England and Wales.
Download the guidance
You will find some of the EU and UK regulations and policies on international shipments of waste linked below:
