The European Commission announced on Monday that Nigeria, along with 23 other non-OECD countries, has submitted requests to be included in the list of nations eligible to import non-hazardous waste from the European Union.
The requests align with the new Waste Shipments Regulation introduced under the EU’s Green Deal and Circular Economy Action Plan. This regulation aims to tighten controls on the shipment of waste, including exports and imports between the EU and non-OECD countries. Notably, by November 2026, the EU will implement a full ban on exporting plastic waste to non-EU countries.
Non-hazardous waste, which comprises 95.6% of Europe’s total solid waste, includes municipal waste like packaging, clothing, plastics, bottles, and food waste, as well as demolition materials such as concrete, bricks, and stones.
For a country to be eligible to import non-hazardous waste, it must demonstrate its capability to manage the materials in an environmentally sound manner, meeting or surpassing EU standards. Detailed information will be required from each applicant for the European Commission to assess their readiness.
Countries submitting requests include Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, El Salvador, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Moldova, Monaco, Morocco, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Ukraine, and Vietnam.
The European Commission plans to finalize the list of approved countries by November 2026. After May 2027, any country not on this list will be prohibited from importing waste from the EU. However, countries that missed the February 2025 deadline can still apply, though there is no guarantee that their applications will be processed before the initial list is finalized.
The first list will be reviewed regularly and updated at least every two years.
