According to a report published by the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR), the competitiveness of the global recycling industry depends on stable market access, which allows private enterprises to invest, process, trade and reintroduce recycled materials into the production cycle. However, as part of a shift in international trade patterns, governments have intensified policy interventions that hinder the flow of recycled materials, negatively affecting the recycling industry’s supply chain. BIR noted that trade barriers also lead to loss in investment and innovation in the circular economy.
BIR stated that allowing the free trade of recycled materials is important to enable global investments in recycling infrastructure, investments, innovation and jobs and to ensure a stable and sustainable global manufacturing supply chain. When countries design policies to keep high-quality recycled products captive for future capacity increases, the immediate loss in trade damages the destination markets which have invested in green technologies earlier. BIR expressed that, instead of these restrictive policies, such as the EU’s waste shipment regulation, the free movement of recycled materials must be viewed as a major solution for the overexploitation of resources and for greenhouse gas emissions.