Wastetrade

Next week, from Monday 13th July, a member of the WasteTrade team will be travelling through Bulgaria to meet, face to face, the people who buy, sell and move the country's waste and recycled commodities. We'll begin in the west, Sofia first, then on to Botevgrad and Pazardzhik, before making our way across the country. Along the way we'll be visiting sites, inspecting materials, and looking to open new partnerships with the businesses that keep this industry moving. If you handle waste or recycled commodities in Bulgaria and would welcome the chance to meet with us while we're in the country, we'd love to hear from you. Please reach out and get in touch with us today. Web: WasteTrade.com Email: info@wastetrade.com Tel: +44 (0) 20 2089 2184 #WasteTrade #Bulgaria #CircularEconomy #Recycling #Sustainability

Ten days across Poland. Sites visited, material inspected, conversations had, routes opened. The WasteTrade team has now completed its trip across Poland, meeting producers, recyclers and processors working across one of Europe’s most active recycling markets. What we saw was clear: there is a lot of good material in the country. Baled PET, rigid HDPE, film, regrind and post-industrial plastics are moving at real scale, but many suppliers still need stronger access to reliable buyers, clearer routes through the market and support with the compliance requirements now shaping cross-border trade. That is where the work matters. During the trip, the team walked yards, inspected material first-hand, discussed live supply opportunities and worked through the practical impact of DIWASS, pre-notification and export restrictions with businesses handling material every day. The result was exactly what we came for: stronger relationships on the ground, better visibility of Polish supply, and new routes for moving material into verified European demand. If you have material to move, in Poland or elsewhere, the WasteTrade team can help find a home for it and support the process across transport, compliance and payment. Web: WasteTrade.com Email: info@wastetrade.com Tel: +44 (0) 20 3089 2184 #Poland #PlasticRecycling #RecyclingIndustry #CircularEconomy #WasteManagement #RecycledPlastics #MaterialRecovery #Europe

Circular Economy Finance Gets Serious | UK & Netherlands Collaboration "Circular economy finance is becoming one of the most important questions facing the waste, recycling and secondary materials sectors. In simple terms, it means directing money towards businesses, projects and systems that keep materials in use for longer, rather than allowing them to become waste. That includes recycling and reprocessing, but it also reaches into reuse, repair, remanufacturing, logistics, material traceability, digital marketplaces and circular product design. The UK and Dutch governments have now signalled that this area needs more structure. Their agreement to collaborate on circular economy finance is not just another policy announcement. It reflects a growing understanding that the circular economy will not scale on ambition alone. It needs investment, and investment needs clarity. For businesses working with recyclable materials, this matters. Capital will increasingly follow circular activity, but investors will expect companies to define it, measure it and prove it. That is where the future of the circular economy starts to become more practical, more commercial and more demanding." The full story is available on our website via the link below. Click here --> wastetrade.com/news/circular-… #CircularEconomy #CircularFinance #SecondaryMaterials #RecyclingIndustry #SustainableFinance #MaterialTraceability #ResourceEfficiency #WasteManagement

Y48 Plastic Waste | What Is It And Why Is It Becoming Europe’s Hardest Recycling Problem? "Y48 plastic waste now sits at the centre of one of Europe’s most uncomfortable recycling questions: what happens when the material can no longer leave easily, but the infrastructure to process it has not caught up? In plain terms, Y48 plastic waste is mixed, contaminated or difficult-to-recycle plastic that cannot move as clean, easily recyclable material and therefore needs tighter control, better documentation and a credible treatment route. For years, part of Europe’s plastic waste problem could be pushed out of sight through export routes. That did not make the system circular. It made it dependent. Mixed, contaminated and difficult-to-recycle plastics often moved to markets where lower costs, different infrastructure and looser commercial conditions made them easier to place. That model is closing down. Europe is tightening the legal routes for plastic waste. The direction is clear: more control, more documentation, more scrutiny and less tolerance for material moving through poorly evidenced channels. For clean, sorted polymer streams, that shift creates pressure. For Y48 plastic waste, it creates a much harder commercial problem. The material still exists. It still leaves factories, sorting lines, civic sites, packaging streams and post-consumer collections. The question is no longer simply who will take it. The question is who can take it legitimately, where the capacity exists, and whether the route can be proved. That is the gap WasteTrade is built to address." The full story is available on our website via the link below. Click here --> wastetrade.com/news/y48-plast… #Y48PlasticWaste #PlasticRecycling #WasteShipmentRegulation #RecyclingCompliance #CircularEconomy #PlasticWaste #RecycledPlastics #WasteManagement

WasteTrade is heading to the USA soon! The team will be travelling to meet buyers, visit sites, inspect material and spend time with the businesses moving the American recycling market forward. These trips are an important part of how we work. Seeing material in person, understanding supply conditions on the ground and building direct relationships with the people behind the loads makes a real difference to how recyclable material moves through the platform. More details to follow soon, so watch this space! Web: WasteTrade.com Email: info@wastetrade.com Tel: +44 (0) 20 3089 2184 #USA #Recycling #PlasticRecycling #WasteManagement #CircularEconomy #RecycledPlastics #MaterialRecovery #RecyclingIndustry

Recycled Plastic Demand Is Rising While Recyclers Are Being Squeezed "Recycled plastic demand is entering a harder, more serious phase. It is no longer only a question of brand preference, procurement policy or corporate goodwill. Increasingly, it is becoming a matter of legal obligation. That matters because the recycled plastics market is not strong today. Recyclers face cheap virgin resin, high energy costs, import pressure, weak margins and fragile buyer confidence. Plants have closed. Capacity has been lost. The sector is not short of purpose, but it is short of favourable economics. WasteTrade’s role matters because of that tension. The market needs a cleaner route between verified recycled plastic supply and the buyers who will soon need that supply with greater urgency." The full story is available on our website via the link below. Click here --> wastetrade.com/news/recycled-… #RecycledPlastic #PlasticRecycling #RecycledContent #CircularEconomy #PackagingWaste #PPWR #SecondaryRawMaterials #SustainablePackaging

Recycled PP copolymer suppliers wanted for a Netherlands-based manufacturer of pipe, fittings, ducting and drainage systems. The buyer is looking for recurring monthly supply of recycled PP copolymer, preferably in pellet or regranulate form. Material: Recycled PP copolymer Location: Netherlands Volume: Up to 4 FCL / FTL per month Supply: Ongoing monthly Grades required: MFI 1-2 Pipe extrusion MFI 2-5 Pipe extrusion and injection fittings MFI 10-20 Injection fittings Please provide available grade(s), MFI, PIR/PCR status, colour, filler content, COA/TDS, monthly volume, loading point and indicative pricing. Do you have supply of this material? Contact Liviu Stama directly: Email: liviu@wastetrade.com Web: WasteTrade.com Tel: +44 (0) 20 3089 2184 #RecycledPP #Polypropylene #PlasticRecycling #RecycledPlastics #PipeExtrusion #InjectionMoulding #CircularEconomy #MaterialSourcing

Southeast Asian Waste Exports | Where Does the Waste Go Now? "Southeast Asian Waste Exports are entering a reckoning, not because one port has closed, but because the trade model that followed China’s 2018 restrictions is being dismantled from both ends. For years, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam absorbed material that had previously moved into Chinese recycling markets. Some of it had genuine value as secondary raw material. Too much of it arrived contaminated, mis-declared or poorly documented, leaving local authorities and communities to manage the consequences. That era is now ending. Across Southeast Asia, governments have tightened the rules or closed routes entirely. At the same time, the European Union is preparing to ban plastic waste exports to all non-OECD countries from 21 November 2026. That includes the Southeast Asian markets many exporters once treated as the natural destination for surplus plastic scrap. The commercial question has changed. It is no longer enough to ask who will buy the material. Companies now need to know whether the buyer, shipment route, customs code, documentation and receiving facility can stand up to scrutiny. That is where WasteTrade’s role becomes more important. The market is moving away from informal outlet-hunting and towards verified, documented trade. In that environment, a platform built around vetted counterparties, structured listings, logistics support and compliance-led movement becomes part of the industry’s infrastructure." The full article is available on our website via the link below. Click here --> wastetrade.com/news/southeast… #PlasticWaste #Recycling #SoutheastAsia #WasteExports #CircularEconomy #PlasticRecycling #WasteManagement #RecycledMaterials

Plastic Waste Exports to Turkey | The EU Is Watching the OECD Route 'Plastic waste exports to Turkey are not being banned by the EU’s November 2026 export restrictions, but the route is entering a more demanding phase. That distinction matters. Much of the market commentary around the EU’s new waste shipment rules has collapsed into a single phrase: the 2026 ban. In practice, the position is more specific. The November 2026 prohibition applies to plastic waste exports from the EU to non-OECD countries. Turkey is an OECD member, so the Turkey route remains open. Open, however, does not mean untouched. Turkey has become one of the most important destinations for EU plastic waste. That scale brings visibility. As the European Commission moves from rule-writing into monitoring, the routes carrying the greatest volumes will attract the closest attention. For exporters, recyclers, manufacturers and traders, the question is shifting. It is no longer enough to ask whether material can legally move. The sharper question is whether the route can be explained, documented and defended. That is where WasteTrade becomes especially relevant. In a market where evidence now carries commercial weight, verified counterparties, structured material listings, compliance support, shipment documentation, logistics coordination and traceable trade records are no longer administrative extras. They are becoming part of the route itself.' The full article is availabe on our website via the link below. Click here --> wastetrade.com/news/plastic-w… #PlasticWaste #WasteShipments #OECD #TurkeyRecycling #RecyclingCompliance #CircularEconomy #PlasticRecycling #WasteRegulation

From Monday 15th June, the WasteTrade team will be travelling across Poland for around ten days. We will be meeting recyclers, processors, manufacturers and material producers across the country, visiting sites, inspecting material, supervising loadings and discussing current opportunities within the European recycling market. Poland continues to play an increasingly important role in Europe's recycling and manufacturing sectors. With new regulations reshaping waste movements, traceability requirements and international trade flows, there has never been a more important time to be having conversations directly with the businesses operating on the ground. The team will be visiting Kraków, Wrocław, Lublin, Łódź, Warsaw and other regions throughout the trip, meeting companies involved in plastics recycling, material recovery and manufacturing. If your business is based in Poland and you would like to arrange a meeting while the team is in the country, get in touch this week and we will do our best to find a suitable slot. Web: WasteTrade.com Email: info@wastetrade.com Tel: +44 (0) 20 3089 2184 #Poland #PlasticRecycling #RecyclingIndustry #CircularEconomy #WasteManagement #Manufacturing #RecycledPlastics #Europe

Ghana Recycling Investment 2026 | The Powerful Case For West Africa "Ghana recycling investment is becoming one of the more serious circular economy opportunities in West Africa, not because the market is already mature, but because the foundations for formal growth are now visible. Collection remains fragmented, processing capacity varies widely, and too much recoverable material still falls out of formal value chains. Yet those weaknesses are also where the commercial case begins. Ghana has waste volumes, port access, policy momentum and an entrepreneurial recycling base. What it still needs is the operating infrastructure that turns recovered material into reliable, documented and tradeable secondary raw material. That is where WasteTrade Ghana matters. For investors, recyclers and manufacturers looking at West Africa, Ghana deserves closer attention. It combines relative political stability, a functioning democratic system, a growing consumer market, a coastline with major logistics advantages and an increasingly active circular economy policy environment. In a region where recycling potential often struggles to move beyond promise, that mix carries weight." The full story is available on our website via the link below. Click here --> wastetrade.com/news/ghana-rec… #GhanaRecycling #RecyclingInvestment #CircularEconomy #WestAfricaBusiness #WasteManagement #PlasticRecycling #ImpactInvestment #SustainableTrade

World Oceans Day highlights the growing pressure facing marine environments from pollution, waste leakage and unsustainable material management. The oceans are not a distant environmental issue. They support the vast majority of life on Earth (up to 80%), regulate climate systems, produce much of the oxygen we breathe and underpin ecosystems across the planet. When marine environments are damaged, the effects reach far beyond coastlines. Every year, millions of tonnes of plastic waste enter rivers, coastlines and oceans, damaging ecosystems, harming wildlife and contributing to long-term microplastic pollution across the marine environment. Plastic does not simply disappear once it reaches the ocean. It fragments, spreads through ecosystems and becomes increasingly difficult to recover. A large proportion of ocean pollution begins on land through poor waste handling, unmanaged disposal routes and weak recycling infrastructure. That makes functioning recycling markets and controlled material recovery systems far more important than many people realise. At WasteTrade, our role is practical. We help connect buyers and sellers of recyclable materials globally, supporting legitimate recycling routes that keep waste in circulation and reduce the likelihood of material becoming environmental pollution. By improving visibility across recycling supply chains, supporting ongoing demand for recycled feedstock, and helping materials move into productive reuse, WasteTrade contributes to the systems that prevent recyclable waste from leaking into the environment in the first place. World Oceans Day is not just about protecting marine life once pollution has already happened. It is also about strengthening the infrastructure, trade and recycling systems that help stop waste reaching the ocean at all. Better recovery. Stronger recycling markets. Less environmental leakage. Web: WasteTrade.com Email: info@wastetrade.com Tel: +44 (0) 20 3089 2184 #WorldOceansDay #OceanPollution #PlasticPollution #CircularEconomy #Recycling #WasteManagement #Sustainability

World Environment Day is a reminder that environmental protection is not just about policies and targets. It is also about what happens to waste after collection, whether materials are reused properly, and whether valuable resources stay in circulation instead of becoming pollution. Every year, millions of tonnes of recyclable material are still lost to landfill, dumping, burning, or unmanaged waste systems. Plastic pollution continues to affect rivers, oceans, infrastructure, wildlife and communities worldwide, while manufacturers increasingly face pressure to secure reliable recycled feedstock and reduce dependence on virgin material. At WasteTrade, our focus is practical. We work to connect buyers and sellers of recyclable materials globally, helping move waste into legitimate recycling and recovery routes where it can re-enter production and retain value within the circular economy. That means supporting processors looking for consistent feedstock, helping businesses move surplus materials responsibly, and improving visibility across international recycling supply chains. Small efficiencies at scale matter. Every load redirected into productive use is material kept out of unmanaged waste streams. World Environment Day has become one of the world’s largest environmental awareness initiatives, bringing together governments, businesses and communities across more than 150 countries. For us, the message is straightforward: better recycling systems, stronger material recovery markets, and more transparent global trade all play a role in reducing environmental pollution. Progress comes from building systems that make circularity commercially viable, operationally practical, and scalable. Web: WasteTrade.com Email: info@wastetrade.com Tel: +44 (0) 20 3089 2184 #WorldEnvironmentDay #Recycling #CircularEconomy #PlasticRecycling #WasteManagement #EnvironmentalProtection #Sustainability

France Recycled Plastic Premium | Powerful New €1,000 Incentive "The France recycled plastic premium is turning traceable recycled polymer from a sustainability preference into a financial opportunity for producers placing eligible products on the French market. France’s IMPR scheme, formally the Prime à l’incorporation de matière plastique recyclée, rewards producers that incorporate qualifying post-consumer recycled plastic into products covered by parts of the French Extended Producer Responsibility system. The premium starts at €450 per tonne, rises to €550 per tonne for closed-loop use, and reaches up to €1,000 per tonne from 2028 for selected hard-to-recycle resins in sensitive-contact packaging. That figure will rightly draw attention from packaging manufacturers, converters, recyclers and brand owners selling into France. But the scheme is not simply a cash reward for buying recycled plastic. It is a reward for using the right recycled plastic, in the right application, with the right evidence behind it. That distinction matters. Under IMPR, the value of recycled polymer depends not only on resin type, grade and price, but also on traceability, origin, processing route, proximity and documentation. For businesses trading recycled plastics, that changes the commercial conversation." The full story is available on our website via the link below. Click here --> wastetrade.com/news/france-re… #RecycledPlastic #PlasticRecycling #CircularEconomy #RecycledPolymers #PlasticPackaging #EPR #SustainablePackaging #Traceability

Ghana Recycling 2026 | The Industry is at a Crosswords "Ghana recycling is approaching a decisive year. The country generates around 1.1 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, yet only a small share enters formal recycling channels. The figure often cited is around 5% collected for recycling, but even that does not mean 5% becomes usable recycled feedstock. Material can be collected, then lost through contamination, poor sorting, weak logistics or lack of demand. That is the central problem. Ghana does not lack recyclable material. It lacks enough of the systems needed to turn that material into consistent, specified and tradeable supply. In 2026, that gap will become harder to ignore. The EU’s new waste shipment rules will restrict plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries. Ghana’s Extended Producer Responsibility framework is moving closer to practical implementation. Planned restrictions on polystyrene foam packaging show a tougher domestic policy direction. Ghana has also been designated as a West Africa regional hub for waste management and resource circularity. These developments point to the same conclusion: Ghana’s recycling market needs structure. WasteTrade Ghana sits within that shift, helping recyclable materials move from fragmented supply into verified, documented and commercially workable trade." The full story is available on our website via the link below. Click here --> wastetrade.com/news/ghana-rec… #GhanaRecycling #PlasticRecycling #CircularEconomy #WasteManagement #RecyclingIndustry #WestAfrica #PlasticWaste #ResourceRecovery

From 2nd - 4th June, the WasteTrade team will be at Interplas 2026 at the NEC Birmingham. Interplas remains one of the most important meeting points in the UK plastics sector, bringing together recyclers, manufacturers, converters, compounders, machinery suppliers and packaging businesses from across the industry. With regulatory pressure increasing and recycled material demand continuing to shift, events like this are where real market conversations happen. The team will be there meeting existing partners, discussing active material requirements across the platform, and speaking with businesses looking to strengthen recycled polymer supply chains ahead of major regulatory changes coming into force across the UK and EU markets. If you are attending Interplas and would like to arrange a meeting with the WasteTrade team while we are there, get in touch this week and we will schedule a time on the floor. Web: WasteTrade.com Email: info@wastetrade.com Tel: +44 (0) 20 3089 2184 #Interplas #PlasticRecycling #RecycledPlastics #CircularEconomy #Packaging #Manufacturing #Polymer #WasteManagement

A successful loading is never just about the material. It is coordination between the yard team, loaders, drivers, supervisors and exporters all working in sync to keep tonnes of recyclable material moving safely and efficiently through the supply chain. This footage from WasteTrade Ghana shows the operational side of circular trade that most people never see. The planning behind the load. The communication on the ground. The teamwork required to recover material properly and move it into real recycling markets. Every completed shipment represents material kept in circulation instead of lost to dumping, burning or unmanaged waste streams. As recycling infrastructure across Ghana and wider Africa continues to strengthen, operations like this are becoming an increasingly important part of global circular supply chains. Watch the full video here: youtu.be/u1w-4iRQ3s4 Web: WasteTrade.com Email: info@wastetrade.com Tel: +44 (0) 20 3089 2184 #Ghana #Recycling #PlasticRecycling #CircularEconomy #WasteManagement #MaterialRecovery #RecycledPlastics #Africa

EU ETS Shockwave | Carbon Pricing Transforms Europe’s Recycling Markets "The EU ETS is rapidly becoming one of the most important forces shaping the future of Europe’s waste and recycling sector. What began as a carbon pricing mechanism aimed primarily at heavy industry and power generation now sits on the verge of expanding into municipal waste incineration, creating a profound shift in how residual waste, plastics and recyclable materials are valued across Europe. For decades, energy-from-waste facilities occupied a politically convenient middle ground. Governments viewed them as preferable to landfill, investors treated them as dependable infrastructure assets, and waste operators relied on them as the practical destination for material that could not be economically recycled. That position now looks increasingly fragile. Across Europe, policymakers have started scrutinising the carbon intensity of waste incineration far more aggressively. Much of the calorific value burned inside modern energy-from-waste plants comes from fossil-derived plastics, not renewable material. Once those emissions enter the scope of the Emissions Trading System, the economics begin to change quickly. The implications extend far beyond incineration itself. The EU ETS could fundamentally reshape recycling demand, plastics recovery, commodity trading flows and the strategic value of verified recycling infrastructure. For companies operating within the recycling sector, this is no longer an abstract policy discussion taking place in Brussels. It is an emerging commercial reality, and one that platforms such as WasteTrade are already positioning around as the market begins adapting to a carbon-priced future." The full story is available on our website via the link below. Click here --> wastetrade.com/news/eu-ets-sh… #EUETS #EmissionsTradingSystem #Recycling #PlasticRecycling #CircularEconomy #EnergyFromWaste #WasteManagement #Sustainability

From next week, 2nd - 12th June, the WasteTrade Ghana team is heading to Kumasi. The team will be on the road meeting suppliers, recyclers, manufacturers and buyers across the region, alongside carrying out pre-shipment inspections and quality checks on active loads. A lot is changing across the recycling sector in West Africa right now. More material moving. More processors entering the market. More demand for consistent supply and better quality control. Trips like this are how we stay close to what is actually happening on the ground. We will be visiting yards, checking material, discussing ongoing supply opportunities and meeting businesses looking to buy, sell or move recyclable material more effectively through the market. If you are based in Kumasi, Tamale or the surrounding areas and would like to meet the team while they are in the region, get in touch this week and we will try to arrange a visit. The team will also be travelling with product samples for manufacturers and converters interested in current material streams moving through the network. We will share updates from the road throughout the trip. Web: WasteTrade.com Email: ghana@wastetrade.com Tel: +233 54 161 4153 #CircularEconomy #PlasticRecycling #WasteManagement #Kumasi #GhanaRecycling #WestAfrica #RecyclingIndustry #RecycledPlastics

Serbia Recycling Crisis Signals a Powerful Shift in Balkans Recycling Industry "Serbia recycling entered one of its most unstable periods in recent memory on 1 January 2026, when the country’s incentive framework for waste treatment effectively disappeared overnight, throwing major parts of the recycling sector into uncertainty and exposing deeper weaknesses across the wider Balkans recycling market. For years, recycling operators throughout the Western Balkans have worked inside fragile systems shaped by changing regulation, uneven enforcement and inconsistent funding structures. Serbia’s latest disruption has dragged those pressures into full view. The consequences arrived immediately. Companies handling tyres, batteries, oils, refrigerators and waste electrical equipment suddenly faced a market where the financial structure underpinning collection and treatment no longer existed in its previous form. Some recyclers stopped accepting material altogether. Others warned that stockpiling and illegal dumping could follow if a replacement mechanism failed to emerge quickly enough. But the Serbia recycling crisis is not simply a Serbian story. It is a warning about what happens when environmental ambition moves faster than commercial infrastructure. Across the Western Balkans, governments are under mounting pressure to align with EU environmental standards, improve recycling rates and modernise waste legislation. Yet many still lack the processing capacity, trading networks and logistics systems needed to support those ambitions at scale. That disconnect is becoming one of the defining challenges in Balkans recycling. It is also creating a major shift in how recyclable material moves through the region, and why companies like WasteTrade are becoming increasingly important within emerging cross-border recycling markets." The full story is available on our website via the link below. Click here --> wastetrade.com/news/serbia-re… #SerbiaRecycling #BalkansRecycling #CircularEconomy #WasteManagement #RecyclingIndustry #PlasticRecycling #EPR #RecyclingMarkets