Izmir: The draft waste export list that the European Commission published on 18 September 2026 names the non-OECD countries that may keep receiving EU waste after May 2027. Thirty-two countries asked to be considered, and the Commission has assessed whether each one can handle the material safely. Public feedback on the draft closes on 16 October 2026.

The list rests on the Waste Shipment Regulation, which entered into force on 20 May 2024 and tightens the rules on sending waste abroad. Under the regulation, the EU bans plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries from 21 November 2026. A general ban on non-hazardous waste exports to those countries follows on 21 May 2027, with exceptions for destinations that win approval.

That exception is where the waste export list matters most. A country appears on the waste export list only after showing that it can manage imported waste in an environmentally sound way, and the Commission plans to review the list regularly, at least every two years. The first authorised list should be settled by the end of 2026, so exporters have a short window to adapt.

The numbers explain why the stakes of the waste export list run high. The EU exported about 32 million tonnes of waste in 2025, and roughly 40 percent of it went to non-OECD countries. The bloc generates around 40 million tonnes of plastic waste each year and ships between one and one and a half million tonnes of it abroad.

Alongside the draft, the Commission released an assessment of plastic waste exports to Türkiye, which is an OECD member and the main destination for EU plastic scrap. In 2025 Türkiye took 510,000 tonnes, or 36 percent of the 1.4 million tonnes the EU exported. Its recent legislation represents progress, the assessment says, but concerns remain over transparency, missing implementation data and unclear governance arrangements.

Those findings reach port cities like Izmir, where recycling plants and traders depend on European supply. Because Türkiye falls outside the non-OECD ban, its trade continues, yet the assessment shows that Brussels now watches OECD destinations too. Traders there may face more questions about traceability and about what happens to waste after it arrives.

For European recyclers, the picture cuts both ways. Tighter exports could keep more plastic at home and support sorting and recycling plants that have struggled with weak demand. At the same time, capacity inside the EU is limited, and processors will need steady investment to absorb material that used to leave the continent.

Environmental groups have long argued that exporting waste simply moves pollution to places with weaker oversight. Supporters of the new regime read the draft as proof that the EU intends to hold itself responsible for what it throws away. Exporters, for their part, want clear and quick decisions so they can keep contracts running.

The waste export list consultation will test whether the Commission has drawn the line in the right place. Governments, industry and civil society have until 16 October to comment, and the final waste export list will show how seriously the EU treats its pledge to stop waste dumping.