Changes to Waste Shipment from January 2021

The government has provided advice on importing and exporting waste if there is a no Brexit deal. After this point the UK as part of the Basel Convention and a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will be treated the same as any other country exporting or importing waste to a EU country.

Please see the government guidance available on what will be required. Click here to find out more.

From January 2021 the amendments to the Basel Convention will also come into effect. The OECD did not reach an agreements in their negotiations which means the UK will need to implement the Basel Convention. Subject to the views of ministers the UK legislation will mean that all imports and exports of Y48 plastics will be notifiable regardless of location.

Y48 is a new code under the amendments to the Convention and plastic waste will need to be shipped under this code unless it meets the specific requirements of:

- Being almost exclusively of one type of plastic, almost free from contamination and other types of waste.

- A mixed shipment of PET, PE and PP provided all waste is destined for separate recycling in an environmentally sound manner and almost free from contamination and other types of waste.

There is a specific list of plastics which full within the ‘one type of plastic’ this includes polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). PVC will full under Y48.

More information on the amendments to the Basel Convention are available on the link here.

If these changes affect your business and you have any question or concerns please contact Helen Jordan ([email protected]).