BRUSSELS — Europe won’t put its trash up for sale anymore and its customers are not happy.
Long accused of dumping its waste in poorer countries instead of dealing with it, the European Union this year decided to restrict waste shipments, preventing certain materials like plastics or chemicals from being sent to countries that cannot treat them properly.
From angry recyclers in Turkey to secondhand traders in the Nordics, businesses in the highly lucrative waste trade are pushing back against the bloc’s decision that some things are not worth selling.
Advertisement
Their argument? The new rules are confusing, will harm local industries that rely on imports, and at times even threaten individual rights.
