The cross-border waste transport sector can represent a valuable business opportunity for both large and small businesses.
The waste transport market is highly dynamic, subject to frequent regulatory changes and administrative requirements that vary from country to country. To remain successful in this market, it is essential to stay abreast of developments that can significantly impact it.
For cross-border waste transport to, from, and through Italy, operators must be registered in the National Register of Environmental Managers (ANGA) in “category 6.” The high level of bureaucracy, combined with language barriers, can effectively constitute a barrier to accessing this market.
For over ten years, Natura Giuridica has supported transport companies in numerous countries (particularly Poland, Denmark, Estonia, Romania, Spain, and France) in managing ANGA requirements (registration, fleet loading, domiciliation, fleet changes, payment schedule maintenance, and relationships with regional sections of the National Register) and in resolving critical issues and unforeseen events (e.g., administrative vehicle seizures).
New regulatory deadlines and changes in disposal flows are impacting the European waste market, particularly in some countries: Slovakia, Romania, and France. Let’s see why:
The new Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 entered into force in May 2024, but many of its operational restrictions will become fully effective in 2026.
The measure will restrict exports outside the EU: starting May 21, 2026, a ban on exporting plastic waste to non-OECD countries will be in effect.
This means that companies will have to find new destinations within the Union, and that there will be more business opportunities for EU logistics operators.
These two countries have become key destinations for Italian and European waste, but for different reasons:
In France, starting January 1, 2024, the requirement to separate organic waste for all communities and businesses came into force. This has generated a surplus of waste fractions that require specialized logistics for treatment, increasing the demand for cross-border transport to recovery facilities.
All this means that countries with low per capita production (such as Romania and Poland) are becoming the main recipients of waste from high-production countries (such as Austria or France) that no longer have domestic disposal capacity.
From May 21, 2026, all parties involved in waste shipments involving an EU Member State must submit notifications and documents exclusively in electronic format via DIWASS. Paper-based shipments are essentially obsolete, and use of the system becomes a requirement for regulatory compliance.
The DIWASS (Digital Waste Shipment System) is the central IT system developed by the European Commission to implement the new Waste Shipment Regulation (WSR). The digitalization of waste shipment procedures is one of the main tools for implementing the Regulation. The goal is to ensure that waste is sent to the best treatment option and to ensure an adequate level of control and traceability. The DIWASS performs a dual structural function: A) Central system accessible via a graphical user interface (GUI), and a central interconnection hub (API). The technical documentation was recently published and is subject to continuous updates. All waste transport operators will need to learn how to use this new mechanism.
Natura Giuridica s.a.s. constantly monitors all relevant changes in the waste shipping market to support businesses in managing and profiting from it.
And what do you do about this?
Write to me to get an answer to all your questions, to get clarifications on this, or to ask for a personalized quote.
And we will work together for your business!
You are invited to send an email to: transport.waste.italy@gmail.com
Photo by Erdenebayar Bayansan from Pixabay