Concerns grow over potential Europe scrap export ban

A letter from the European recycling association, remarks at a Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) forum in Brussels and the European Commission's delay in adopting the waste shipment regulation (WSR) review sparked concerns over possible ferrous and nonferrous scrap export restrictions.

The European Commission is expected to publish the final adoption of the WSR review proposal on 17 November, sources familiar with the matter said — many months after the original second quarter schedule.

The commission began reviewing EU waste shipment regulations in January 2020 and published a circular economy action plan document last year, suggesting that it "will take action with the aim to ensure that the EU does not export its waste challenges to third countries."

It was previously expected to propose an adjustment that includes partially banning scrap exports to countries that do not meet EU environmental standards. Most of these countries are likely to be non-OECD countries because OECD countries already adhere to similar standards to those in the EU.

But intensified warnings from associations and recycling industry leaders in the past few days suggest the increased possibility of an outright ban of scrap exports from EU.

European recycling association EuRIC today sent a letter co-signed by nearly 300 European national recycling federations and companies to the European Commission, Parliament and Council urging EU leaders over the "potentially disastrous effects of a blanket restriction on exports of raw materials from recycling (RMR) in the upcoming waste shipment regulation (WSR) review".

Nearly all European national recycling associations, including the UK Recycling Association, signed the joint letter. Many European ferrous and nonferrous metal scrap recycling firms and exporters also signed the letter, including larger players such as ALBA, ALFA, BST, Cronimet, Derichebourg, EMR, Galloo, ORYX, RHM, Scholz, Stena and Theo Steil.

Scrap metal, along with other recycled products, are RMR and should not be labelled as waste, EuRIC said. Metal scrap is currently labelled as non-hazardous waste under EU law and would be impacted by any regulation change on waste shipment.

In the letter, the co-signatories urged EU to ensure that export restrictions in the revised WSR will solely target problematic waste streams and that a "one-size fits-all" solution with no distinction between untreated problematic waste streams and RMR will run against the objectives of the EU Green Deal.

The group also urged the EU to uphold free and fair trade of RMR, which is essential to the competitiveness of the European recycling industry, and to implement a stable legislative framework with a proper classification for RMR and incentives to reward the environmental benefits of circular materials.

EuRIC president Cinzia Vezzosi said adding export restrictions without having "secured" end markets in the EU "pose a vital threat" to European recyclers.

"They will result in massive green job cuts and put a lasting brake on the growth of one of the most dynamic industries in Europe, for no environmental gains," Vezzosi said. "Worse still, with unhampered imports of extracted raw materials in Europe, the competitiveness of RMR will drop and thus the incentive to properly collect, recycle, and invest will be lost, putting at risk the ability to achieve present recycling targets set by legislation."

By Chi Hin Ling