Green list waste

Green list waste is non-hazardous waste which can be exported under a lower level of control to EU/OECD countries and some non-OECD countries for recycling.

You are not required to obtain written permission from SEPA if you intend to export waste under these controls; instead you must complete and sign an Annex VII form pdf link (67k) and ensure it accompanies your waste. You must also send a copy of the completed form to SEPA if you are exporting to a non-OECD country. Furthermore:

  • you must complete a contract for the recovery of the waste between the person sending the waste and the person receiving the waste – please see Article 18(2) of the Waste Shipments Regulation external link;
  • the waste must be dealt with in an environmentally sound manner throughout its movement and recovery;
  • the person receiving the waste must sign the document that accompanies the waste on receipt and retain it for three years.

Please see our position statement on Annex VII form submission pdf link (79kb) for more information on our enforcement position in relation to the submission of such forms.

The joint SEPA and Environment Agency guide Exporting recyclable waste for recovery in non-OECD countries pdf link (101kb) provides specific guidance on the procedures you must follow when exporting waste under green list controls to non-OECD countries. The guide also contains useful information on procedures for importing or exporting waste under green list controls from other countries.

Not all classifications of green list waste can be exported to all non-OECD countries

The permissible destinations and types of waste allowed depends on the responses given by non-OECD countries to which the binding OECD Decision on Transboundary Movements of Waste does not apply. The responses given by each non-OECD country indicate which classification of waste are allowed under green list controls. Other types of non-hazardous waste may require notification controls, and others may be prohibited shipments.