Exports of waste plastic

Please read this page before you apply for a licence.

In March 2020, the Australian, state and territory governments, and the Australian Local Government Association, as members of the former Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed that the export of waste glass, plastic, tyres and paper be regulated by the Australian Government.

Find out about plastics specifications.

We regulate the export of waste plastic under the:

Phases

The Plastic Rules come into effect in two phases:

From 1 July 2021, you can only export waste plastics that have been:

  • sorted into single resin or polymer type, or
  • processed with other materials into processed engineered fuel.

You will no longer be able to export mixed waste plastics.

From 1 July 2022, you can only export waste plastics that have been:

  • sorted into single resin or polymer type and further processed, for example flaked or pelletised, or
  • processed with other materials into processed engineered fuel.

To export waste plastic, you need:

  • a waste plastic export licence
  • to declare each consignment to us before you declare to the Australian Border Force's Integrated Cargo System.

Plastic we regulate

We regulate most waste plastic. We regulate plastic that is either:

  • discarded, rejected or left over from an industrial, commercial, domestic or other activity
  • surplus to or a by-product of an industrial, commercial, domestic or other activity
  • processed engineered fuel.

Processed engineered fuel is plastic waste that is processed with other waste material ready for direct use as a fuel in high energy intensity facilities such as cement kilns.

Plastic waste we don't regulate

We do not regulate the following waste plastic that:

  • is exported solely for personal or domestic use, for example a collectible soft drink bottle
  • has been imported into Australia on a temporary basis and re-exported in the same container and with the same trade description.

Examples of plastics that are not waste plastics are:

  • new plastic products made from virgin materials
  • plastic products made from waste plastic that are ready for a new use, e.g. soft drink bottles made from recycled plastic.

Plastic you can export and when you can export it

You can export waste plastic that is sorted only and plastic that is sorted and further processed when you have a waste export licence.

Sorted plastic

From 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022, you must have a licence to export waste plastic that has been sorted into a single resin or polymer type. Examples include but are not limited to:

  • HDPE – high density polyethylene
  • LDPE – low density polyethylene
  • PP - polypropylene
  • PET – polyethylene terephthalate
  • ABS - acrylonitrile butadiene styrene*
  • PS* - polystyrene*
  • PVC* – polyvinyl chloride*.

* You may need a hazardous waste permit to export these polymers if they are considered hazardous or contain chemicals or additives that are hazardous or controlled such as brominated flame retardants.

This sorted plastic must be almost free of contamination and other types of waste.

In assessing licence applications, we carefully consider the specifications to which waste plastics will be sorted. This includes how the specifications provide for waste plastic being almost free of contamination and other types of waste. Find out about plastics specifications.

If you meet all licencing requirements, we can grant a licence until 30 June 2022 for sorted plastic. To continue to export after this date, you will need to:

  • process your plastic for further use and
  • apply to vary your licence to account for further processing.

Find a facility that may be able to process your plastic.

Sorted and further processed plastic

From 1 July 2022, you must have a licence to export waste plastics that have been sorted and further processed.

‘Processed’ generally refers to plastics that have been sorted, washed, cleaned and transformed, for example, into hot washed flakes or single resin pellets. It does not refer to plastic that is simply shredded.

If you meet all licencing requirements, we can grant a licence for up to 3 years for sorted and further processed plastic. To continue to export after this time, you will need to renew your licence.

Find a facility that may be able to process your plastic.

Processed engineered fuel (PEF)

From 1 July 2021, you can export PEF if you have a waste plastic export licence for PEF.

PEF is plastic waste that is processed with other waste material ready for direct use as a fuel in high energy intensity facilities such as cement kilns.

If you meet all licencing requirements, we can grant a licence for up to 3 years. To continue to export after this time, you will need to renew your licence.

You may need a hazardous waste permit to export PEF.

What you cannot export

From 1 July 2021, you cannot export mixed waste plastic, for example bales that include a combination of PET and HDPE.

From 1 July 2022, you cannot export plastic that has been sorted only.

Case study

Treasure Plastics owns a material recovery facility that sorts kerbside waste into separate polymer types, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polystyrene (PS).

So that they can continue to export and to grow their business, Treasure Plastics has purchased equipment to process their sorted PET waste into pellets and are negotiating to export pelletised PET from December 2021. They have also entered into a commercial arrangement to export processed PS from 1 July 2021.

As they don’t have capacity to clean, melt, densify and compress the sorted PS, Treasure Plastics finds someone to process this PS from the list of plastics processing facilities in Australia.

When Tim, a director of Treasure Plastics, applies for a three-year waste export licence, he nominates three specifications:

  • a specification, not listed on our website, to export sorted single polymer PET bales until 30 June 2022
  • a specification, listed on our website, to export pelletised single polymer PET from 1 December 2021
  • a specification, not listed on our website, to export processed PS from 1 July 2021.

Tim provides an existing contract for the baled PET bottles, and emails showing his potential customers overseas for pelletised PET and processed PS.

The Minister considers all specifications, the intended use of the waste plastic and other relevant matters, and decides to grant the waste plastic export licence to export sorted PET until 30 June 2022 and to export processed PS and PET until the end of the three-year waste export licence.

You may need a hazardous waste permit

Plastics may contain chemicals or additives that make them hazardous and require a hazardous waste permit prior to their export. For example PS, ABS and other plastics from e-waste, the automotive sector and building insulation may contain flame retardants and would be considered hazardous. Other plastics, such as PVC, may also require a hazardous waste permit. Find more information about hazardous waste.

ABS (e-waste)

E-waste plastic is made from a range of polymers including acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate (PC). ABS, PC and other types of e-waste or automotive plastics can contain hazardous chemicals, including those listed on the:

Polystyrene (PS)

Polystyrene waste sourced from refurbished or demolished buildings can contain the brominated flame retardant hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD). HBCD can’t be recycled under the Stockholm Convention and PS containing HBCD may not be suitable for recycling or export.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and processed engineered fuel (PEF)

PVC and PEF may also be controlled under the Basel Convention (on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal) and require an export permit under the Hazardous Waste (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Act 1989.

What you must do

Apply for a licence

You must apply for and be granted, a waste export licence to export regulated waste plastic from 1 July 2021.

Find out how to apply.

For an overview, read our guide to exporting.

Add waste plastic to waste glass export licence

If you have an existing waste glass export licence, you can add plastic to it by applying to vary your licence.

Check whether you need a waste export licence

If the plastic you export, and the circumstance under which you export it, are on the waste plastic export list, you may not need a waste export licence.

If your plastic is hazardous, you may need a hazardous waste permit instead of, or as well as, a waste export licence.

If you're not sure, contact us.

Reports on waste plastic industry standards

The department has commissioned two reports on the waste plastics industry.

In 2021 a report was commissioned to set out existing standards and specifications for the recovery of waste plastic, and typical buyer considerations such as source, contamination levels, and moisture content.

In 2022 a report was commissioned to outline the processing requirements for waste plastics from 1 July 2022.

The reports are important references for the department, including when assessing waste plastics licence applications.

The 2021 report and 2022 report are available for your information.

Contact us

WELD portal: if you have a WELD portal account, contact us via ‘My messages’

Email exportwaste@awe.gov.au with a description of your circumstances and we will contact you

Phone: 1800 852 974