Transfrontier Shipment of Waste
This page covers the rules and regulations for moving waste across borders, including regulatory controls, notification procedures, and guidance for compliant import and export of waste and green list waste.
New entries to Annexes II, VIII and IX of the Basel Convention will become effective on 1st January 2021 which will strengthen the controls for the export of plastic wastes.
For more information, please read the new International waste shipments guidance on the Basel convention amendments on plastic waste (pdf 261kB).
Do the regulations apply to me?
If you are involved in the import or export of waste from the UK, you need to be aware that shipments of waste are subject to a range of regulatory controls.
Hazardous waste and waste destined for recovery in a developing country is generally subject to notification procedures. This requires the prior written consent of all relevant authorities of dispatch, transit and destination.
Notification controls apply to all allowed imports and exports of:
- Hazardous waste for recovery operations
- Some non-hazardous waste for recovery operations to non-OECD countries
Our rough guide to import and export controls (pdf 157kB) document gives a general summary of which shipments the different controls apply to.
How is transfrontier shipment of waste regulated?
Transfrontier shipment of waste (TFS) refers to the movement of waste across international borders by road, rail, air, or sea for the purposes of recovery, recycling or disposal. TFS is governed internationally by the Basel Convention of 1989 and aims to reduce hazardous waste movements, especially to developing countries.
In the UK, TFS is regulated under the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 2007, and the UK Plan for Shipments of Waste outlines what is allowed and under what conditions.
After being finalised by two pieces of European Legislation, the TFS regulations are now implemented in the UK by the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 2007. These regulations outline the procedures, offences, penalties, and authorities involved. The UK Plan on Shipments of Waste details government policy on waste imports and exports for disposal. We have provided guidance on the principles of TFS.
- An introduction to moving waste between countries (pdf 72kB)
- Moving waste between countries: Determining the controls on waste exports (pdf 83kB)
- Moving waste between countries: Determining the controls on waste imports (pdf 75kB)
- Moving notified waste between countries (pdf 250kB)
What is 'green list' waste?
Green list waste is non-hazardous waste considered low risk. It can be shipped more easily, especially between Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.
- Shipping to OECD countries: You don’t need permission from SEPA, but you must submit an Annex VII form and ensure it accompanies your waste.
- Shipping to non-OECD countries: This depends on which classification of waste the importing country accepts and which procedures it applies. We have produced guidance with more information on exporting recyclable waste for recovery in non-OECD countries (pdf 99kB). It provides details on the procedures of exporting waste under green list controls to non-OECD countries. It also contains useful information on importing and exporting waste under green list controls from other countries.
Other types of non-hazardous waste may require notification controls and others may be prohibited shipments.
In addition, we have produced several short presentations which provide more information on the rules on green list shipments from Scotland:
- Annex VII - SEPA regulation of green list waste shipments (pdf 1.8MB)
- A guide to submitting Annex VII - Forms via the National Packaging Waste Database (pdf 730kB)
- How to ‘notify’ a waste shipment (pdf 206kB)
What to do next?
Contact the Transfrontier Shipment (TFS) team before applying for notification to export hazardous waste or waste destined for recovery and notify them of any urgent applications.
Please note: We are experiencing delays in processing applications so please submit as early as possible. We prioritise applications where delays would cause serious environmental, financial, or contractual impacts.
Importing radioactive sources
If you are importing sealed radioactive sources to the UK from the EU:
- You must submit a written declaration before the shipment
- Complete the form Shipping radioactive sources between the UK and EU – GOV.UK
- Then contact SEPA's TFS team (do not use the previous RSA Notification Mailbox)
If a delay is likely to cause an adverse impact to the environment or communities, contact us immediately.
Visit our waste guidance page for more information on how we manage waste.