Exporting industrial or hazardous waste across borders requires permits, documentation, and regulatory approvals from multiple countries. This guide explains what is required and how Bee of the Earth manages it for you.
Three international frameworks determine what documentation, permits, and consents you need before any waste crosses a border.
The primary global treaty controlling transboundary hazardous waste movements. The Basel Convention requires prior informed consent for waste export from both the exporting and importing country before any hazardous or notifiable waste can move. It also mandates waste return if a shipment cannot be completed. Thailand and most EU trading partners are Basel signatories, meaning these obligations apply at both ends of every shipment.
The revised EU WSR entered into application on 21 May 2026, replacing Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006. It introduces mandatory digital processing via the DIWASS platform (Digital Waste Shipment System) for all PIC shipments, including hazardous, mixed municipal, and contaminated waste. An EU waste export permit application under this framework must now be submitted and tracked electronically, with paper-based procedures being phased out.
Beyond the Basel Convention and EU WSR, factories exporting waste to specific destinations must also comply with the receiving country’s import and waste management regulations. For shipments destined for the US, Japan, or Taiwan, applicable national frameworks govern how waste may be imported, what documentation is required from the receiving facility, and which categories of waste are permitted for import. Bee of the Earth coordinates destination-country requirements alongside Thai export compliance as part of our end-to-end service.
The classification of your waste determines the level of control and documentation required. Getting this wrong, even unintentionally, can result in seizure, fines, or criminal liability.
Waste Category | Control Level | Key Requirement |
Green listed waste export in Europe | Low | Annex VII information document accompanies the shipment — no prior consent required for OECD destinations |
Amber listed waste export permit required | High | Full Prior Informed Consent notification, written approval from all competent authorities, financial guarantee required |
Hazardous Waste (Basel Annex VIII) | Highest | PIC procedure mandatory, Basel notification and movement documents, written consent from origin, transit, and destination authorities |
Plastic Waste (mixed/contaminated) | PIC from May 2026 | Subject to PIC procedure under EU WSR 2024/1157 from 21 May 2026; independent facility audits required from May 2027 |
Identify the correct waste code using the Basel Convention consolidated list or OECD codes. Examples include B3011 for clean recyclable sorted, plastic destined for recycling, A1181 for hazardous e-waste, and Y49 for non-hazardous e-waste (effective from 1 January 2025). Misclassification of amber listed waste as green listed waste is a criminal offence and a common trigger for enforcement under transboundary hazardous waste regulations.
Identify all countries of transit, not just the destination. Transboundary waste movement documentation requirements apply across the entire journey, including ports where containers are transferred. Every transit country must be notified and, for notifiable waste, must provide written consent before the shipment moves.
For notifiable (amber list or hazardous) waste, submit a waste shipment notification form to the competent authority in the country of origin at least 30 days before the shipment moves. Written consent from all transit and destination authorities must be received before the waste departs. Approval timelines can take up to three months. For shipments to the US, Japan, or Taiwan, destination-country import consent procedures apply in addition to Thai export requirements under the Basel Convention.
Industrial waste export documentation required for a compliant shipment includes a notification form or Annex VII document with a unique identification number, movement tracking documents accompanying the waste throughout its journey, a financial guarantee or equivalent insurance covering transport and 90 days of storage, and a signed contract with the receiving facility. Under DIWASS (EU, from 21 May 2026), all the above must be submitted and tracked digitally.
Document | Purpose | Applies To |
Waste shipment notification form | Triggers the PIC consent process | All amber list and hazardous waste exports |
Annex VII information document | Accompanies green listed waste exports in Europe | Green list waste to OECD destinations |
Movement tracking document | Travels with the waste from origin to destination | All notifiable and hazardous shipments |
Financial guarantee | Covers transport, treatment, and 90 days of storage | All PIC-notifiable shipments |
Signed contract with receiving facility | Confirms the destination site is authorized to treat the waste | All export shipments |
Basel Convention export permit / written consent | Formal approval from competent authorities | Hazardous and amber list waste across all jurisdictions |
Industrial waste cross-border compliance failures are treated as criminal offences in both the EU. The consequences are serious:
Non-compliance with transboundary hazardous waste regulations does not have to be intentional to trigger enforcement. Incorrect waste classification or missing documentation is sufficient.
Bee of the Earth supports clients as a cross-border industrial waste compliance management advisor and coordinator in the EU and Asia-Pacific region, helping coordinate compliance workflows and documentation with licensed or authorized parties where required:
Our multilingual team (Thai, English, Japanese, and Chinese) has experience supporting international manufacturers operating in Thailand and exporting waste to the EU and global markets.
Contact our team to discuss your industrial waste cross-border compliance requirements.
A: Prior informed consent for waste export is the written approval that the importing country’s competent authority must provide before hazardous or notifiable waste can be shipped to it. PIC is required for all amber list and hazardous waste exports. Under the EU’s revised WSR (2024/1157, applicable from 21 May 2026), all PIC procedures must be processed digitally through DIWASS. Without PIC, the shipment is illegal and the exporter is liable for repatriation costs and criminal penalties.
A: For waste exports to EU member states, permit applications and PIC notifications are submitted electronically through DIWASS (mandatory from 21 May 2026). You must notify all competent authorities along the shipment route, including transit countries, at least 30 days before the shipment moves. Approval can take up to three months, and a financial guarantee plus a signed contract with the receiving facility are required before consent is granted. For shipments to the US, Japan, or Taiwan, separate national procedures and Basel Convention bilateral requirements apply.
A: The EU waste export permit framework is governed by EU WSR 2024/1157, which entered into application on 21 May 2026, replacing the previous 2006 regulation. The most significant change is mandatory use of DIWASS for all PIC shipments, with paper-based procedures being phased out. The regulation also introduces stricter controls on plastic waste exports from 21 May 2026, and requires independent audits of receiving facilities outside the EU from 21 May 2027.
A: Green listed waste exports in Europe are generally non-hazardous and can move with a simplified Annex VII information document — no prior consent is needed for shipments to OECD destinations. Amber listed waste export requires a full prior informed consent notification, written approval from competent authorities in all countries involved, and a financial guarantee before any shipment can proceed. Misclassifying amber waste as green list is a criminal offence.
A: A compliant shipment requires a waste shipment notification form with a unique identification number, written prior informed consent from all competent authorities across origin, transit, and destination countries, a financial guarantee covering transport and 90 days of storage, a signed contract with the receiving facility, and movement tracking documents accompanying the waste throughout its journey. Under DIWASS (EU, from 21 May 2026), all industrial waste export documentation must be submitted and tracked digitally.
A: How to export hazardous waste legally from Thailand involves meeting requirements at both the Thai end and the destination country. At the Thai end, factory operators must obtain DIW approval before transporting waste outside their facility under the Hazardous Substance Act B.E. 2535. The waste must also comply with Basel Convention prior informed consent procedures, meaning the destination country must provide written consent before the shipment departs. Bee of the Earth manages both the Thai-side regulatory requirements and destination-country compliance as part of our end-to-end waste export compliance service.
