Please note that only Section 7 of the Hazardous Waste (Control of Export, Import and Transit) (Amendment) Act 2020, which amends the Schedule to include plastic waste in various Annexes to the
Basel Convention, is relevant to this notification. Section 7 comes into operation on 1 October 2020.
The Hazardous Waste (Control of Import, Export or Transit) Act (HWA) provides the legislative framework for Singapore to regulate the transboundary movement control of hazardous waste and other waste controlled under the Basel Convention. Under the HWA, companies importing, exporting or transiting hazardous waste or other wastes controlled under the Basel Convention, are required to apply for a Basel Permit from NEA (Pollution Control Department, PCD). The application will require the company to submit the necessary supporting documents and obtain a Banker’s Guarantee.
At the 14th Meeting of Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention (COP-14) held from 29 Apr to 10 May 2019, Parties adopted the decision to subject the transboundary movement of certain plastic wastes streams to the Prior-Informed Consent (PIC) procedure. The HWA amendment will subject these plastic waste streams for transboundary movement control under the Act. Thus, companies will be required to obtain a Basel permit for the import, export or transit of plastic wastes listed in Annex II and Annex VIII of the Basel Convention. The list of controlled plastic waste is listed as follows:
• Single stream halogenated plastic waste consisting only polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foam
• Single stream halogenated plastic waste consisting only polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
• Single stream plastic waste consisting of halogenated polymers (excluding fluorinated polymers perfluoroethylene/propylene (FEP), tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether (PFA), tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoromethyl vinyl ether (MFA), polyvinylfluoride (PVF), polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF)) or post-consumer fluorinated plastic wastes
• All mixed plastic wastes (excluding mixed plastic wastes consisting of only polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and/or polyethylene terephthalate (PET)) and foams [*predominantly polyethylene (PE) foams]
• All mixed plastic wastes (excluding mixed plastic wastes consisting of only polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and/or polyethylene terephthalate (PET)) and foams [*predominantly polystyrene (PS) foams]
• All mixed plastic wastes (excluding mixed plastic wastes consisting of only polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and/or polyethylene terephthalate (PET)) and foams [*predominantly polystyrene (PS)]
• All mixed plastic wastes (excluding mixed plastic wastes consisting of only polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and/or polyethylene terephthalate (PET)) and foams [*predominantly polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foams]
• All mixed plastic wastes (excluding mixed plastic wastes consisting of only polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and/or polyethylene terephthalate (PET)) and foams [*predominantly polyvinyl chloride (PVC)]
• All mixed plastic wastes (excluding mixed plastic wastes consisting of only polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and/or polyethylene terephthalate (PET)) and foams [*predominantly not polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and/or polyethylene terephthalate (PET)]
• Single stream or mixed plastic wastes, foams and resins that contain or mixed with other wastes
The list of controlled plastic wastes and the accompanying HS and Product codes will be updated on the Controlled HS Codes Lists for items under import, export and transhipment control in Sep 2020. The Lists, as maintained by Singapore Customs, are accessible via the following link: http://www.customs.gov.sg/-/media/cus/files/about-us/annexes-and-appendi... The domestic control measure will come into effect on 1 Oct 2020 to prepare companies for compliance with the Basel Convention obligations on the transboundary movement of plastic wastes, ahead of the international obligations on 1 Jan 2021.
* Predominant refers to the largest component within the mixed plastic wastes.