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BIR to Debate Recovered Paper Trade Risks as EU Rules Reshape Global Fibre Flows
The Bureau of International Recycling will put changing recovered paper trade flows, tightening fibre availability and new European waste-shipment rules at the center of its Paper Division session in Malaga on October 27, as recyclers prepare for regulatory changes that could materially alter access to international markets.
By Paul Ploumis
Published October 14, 2026
Key Points
- BIR Malaga convention: October 25–27, 2026.
- Paper Division session: October 27, 15:15–16:45.
- Main issues: Recovered fibre trade, DIWASS, logistics, market demand and EU regulatory changes.
- European OCC: Export indicators are about 20–25% above early-spring levels, according to BIR’s latest market report.
- Germany: H1 recovered paper exports fell to 678,000 tonnes, the lowest level in roughly 20 years.
- DIWASS: EU digital waste-shipment procedures began May 21, 2026.
- Next major deadline: New EU rules governing non-hazardous waste exports to non-OECD countries apply from May 21, 2027.
SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The Bureau of International Recycling will turn its attention to the rapidly changing global recovered paper market when its Paper Division meets during the BIR World Recycling Convention & Exhibition in Malaga later this month.
The convention runs from October 25 through October 27 at the FYCMA Trade Fairs and Congress Centre in Malaga, Spain.
The Paper Division session, titled “The global recovered paper market: What’s changing?”, is scheduled for Tuesday, October 27 from 15:15 to 16:45.
BIR said the discussion will examine changing fibre flows, evolving demand, logistics, trade conditions and mounting regulatory pressure on companies moving recovered paper across borders.
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The regulatory debate arrives at an awkward moment for Europe’s recovered paper industry.
BIR’s latest October market assessment says European recovered paper prices have strengthened, particularly for old corrugated containers, or OCC.
European OCC export indicators are now approximately 20–25% above early-spring levels.
But BIR cautions that this should not be mistaken for a broad recovery in European paper demand.
The market is tighter largely because collection volumes remain weak while Asian buyers continue competing for available fibre.
India has become one of the most important structural buyers in the international recovered fibre market, while Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and other Southeast Asian destinations remain important outlets.
That export channel matters because it helps Europe clear surplus recovered paper when domestic mills cannot consume everything collected.
Now the regulatory framework governing those shipments is becoming more restrictive.
From May 21, 2027, exports of non-hazardous “green-listed” waste from the EU to non-OECD countries will generally be prohibited unless the destination country and relevant waste stream are specifically authorized under the new Waste Shipment Regulation.
That creates a potential market paradox: Europe may need international buyers to balance recovered-paper supply and demand at precisely the same time that exporters face tighter rules governing access to those markets.
The eventual effect will depend on which countries and waste streams receive authorization, how smoothly compliance systems operate and whether European mills can absorb additional fibre if export routes narrow.
BIR Panel Will Focus on European Regulatory Risk
The centerpiece of the session will be an interactive panel titled:
“Regulatory Affairs from Europe – An Extremely Dangerous Horizon for Recycling Paper Worldwide.”
Francisco Donoso, President of BIR’s Paper Division and representative of Spain-based DOLAF Servicios Verdes S.L., will moderate the discussion.
The panel is scheduled to include:
- Ranjit Baxi, J & H Sales International Ltd., United Kingdom
- Marc Ehrlich, VIPA Lausanne SA, Switzerland
- Simone Scaramuzzi, LCI SRL, Italy
- Dominique Maguin, La Compagnie des Matières Premières, France
- Osman Kaytan, Paper Recycling Industrialists Association (AGED), Türkiye
BIR said participants will examine how European regulation could affect international trade, recovered paper availability and recycling-business competitiveness.
DIWASS Is Already Changing Waste-Shipment Administration
One of the central issues will be the EU’s Digital Waste Shipment System, or DIWASS.
DIWASS is the European Commission’s central digital platform for submitting and exchanging documentation related to cross-border waste shipments.
The system went live on May 21, 2026 alongside the application of most provisions of the revised Waste Shipment Regulation.
It is intended to replace fragmented paper-based procedures with more traceable electronic documentation.
For shipments requiring prior notification and consent, DIWASS is already used for notification and movement documents.
Annex VII documentation covering many green-listed shipments is currently operating under a transitional arrangement.
| EU Waste-Shipment Milestone | Date | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| New Waste Shipment Regulation entered into force | May 20, 2024 | Established the revised EU legal framework. |
| Most new provisions apply / DIWASS launches | May 21, 2026 | Digital processing begins for notification and movement documentation. |
| Annex VII transition ends | December 31, 2026 | Temporary continuation of existing procedures ends. |
| New non-OECD export rules apply | May 21, 2027 | Green-listed exports generally require destination and waste-stream authorization. |
Industry Has Already Raised Concerns About Documentation
DIWASS has been discussed extensively within BIR during 2026.
At the organization’s Gothenburg convention earlier this year, industry representatives raised concerns about documentation requirements and the practicality of providing certain shipment information sufficiently far in advance.
BIR representatives have also encouraged exporters to make sure customers and other commercial partners are properly registered in the digital system.
The concern is not necessarily that digital documentation itself will stop trade.
The larger issue is whether additional timing, registration and data requirements create delays or administrative costs in a commodity business where trading margins can already be relatively thin.
Europe’s Recovered Paper Market Is Firmer — But Not Because Demand Is Booming
BIR’s latest recovered-paper market analysis says Europe entered the fourth quarter with a somewhat firmer tone.
OCC has shown the strongest momentum, with export indicators up roughly 20–25% from early-spring levels.
Mixed paper has also strengthened, though less sharply.
Higher recovered-paper prices might normally indicate stronger paper and packaging production.
That is not the primary explanation this time.
BIR says current pricing is being supported largely by:
- Reduced recovered-paper generation
- Weak collection volumes
- European mill restocking
- Competition between domestic mills and exporters
- Asian buying demand
- Freight and logistics conditions
European paper and board production itself remains relatively subdued.
Germany Shows How Tight Fibre Availability Has Become
Germany provides one of the clearest examples of the changing supply picture.
BIR reports that Germany exported approximately 678,000 tonnes of recovered paper during the first six months of 2026.
That represents the country’s lowest first-half export volume in about 20 years.
Full-year German exports had already fallen 15% in 2025 to roughly 1.46 million tonnes.
Germany is particularly important because it accounts for roughly 31% of European recovered paper consumption, according to BIR.
Lower exports from a market of that scale are another indication that less freely available fibre is moving through the European system.
India Has Become Central to the Global OCC Trade
China’s withdrawal from direct recovered-paper imports fundamentally changed international fibre flows several years ago.
BIR now describes India as one of the most important structural buyers in the market.
India’s packaging sector consumes significant volumes of imported recovered fibre, and domestic collection alone does not always meet mill demand.
That gives European and North American exporters an important outlet for OCC.
Southeast Asian countries including Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand are also significant destinations, although purchasing tends to be highly sensitive to freight rates, quality and finished-paper demand.
| Recovered Paper Market Signal | Current BIR Read |
|---|---|
| European OCC | Export indicators roughly 20–25% above early-spring levels. |
| European collection | Still constrained in several major markets. |
| India | One of the principal structural buyers of internationally traded recovered fibre. |
| Southeast Asia | Important outlet, but buyers remain quality- and freight-sensitive. |
| European mill demand | Moderate rather than broadly booming. |
Why the European Debate Matters to North American Recyclers
The regulatory changes are European, but the recovered fibre market is global.
BIR notes that periods of stronger domestic recovered-paper demand in North America have already reduced U.S. export availability and created additional opportunities for European suppliers in Asian markets.
If European exporters face new restrictions or higher compliance costs, trade patterns could shift again.
Asian mills might source more material from North America, domestic European mills could face different fibre availability, or trade could increasingly favour destinations with simpler regulatory access.
Those are potential outcomes rather than established forecasts. The eventual impact will depend on market prices, freight rates, authorized destinations and actual implementation of the EU rules.
For North American recovered-paper processors and exporters, however, changing European trade access is worth following because it could alter competition for the same Asian buying markets.
Freight Can Still Decide Whether a Trade Works
Recovered paper is a relatively low-value commodity per tonne, making logistics unusually important to trading economics.
A relatively small change in ocean freight can determine whether material moves domestically or across an ocean.
BIR’s 2026 reports repeatedly identify freight, vessel availability, fuel costs, transit times and routing reliability as major commercial variables.
This explains why regulatory compliance cannot be viewed separately from logistics.
A shipment that requires additional administration, faces longer transit times and carries higher freight costs can quickly move from profitable to uneconomic.
BIR Convention Runs October 25–27
The BIR World Recycling Convention & Exhibition will be held at FYCMA in Malaga from October 25 through October 27.
The main convention programme runs October 26–27 and includes sessions covering ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals, plastics, tyres and rubber, electronics, stainless steel, trade and environmental issues.
The Paper Division meets during the final afternoon of the convention.
BIR says the paper session is open to both members and non-members under its registration arrangements, including an observer pathway for eligible non-member participants.
What to Watch From Malaga
DIWASS implementation: Recyclers will be watching how companies are handling the 2026 transition and whether digital documentation is creating practical trade delays.
January 2027 documentation: The end of the Annex VII transition period will push more shipment information fully into digital workflows.
May 2027 export rules: This is the larger strategic issue because access to non-OECD markets will depend on EU authorization of destinations and individual waste streams.
India and Southeast Asia: Continued buying from these markets remains important to European OCC pricing and fibre balance.
European collection: Tight availability is currently supporting prices despite only moderate downstream demand.
North American exports: Any change in European access to Asian buyers could alter competition for U.S. and Canadian recovered fibre.
ScrapMonster Market Read: The Malaga discussion comes at a more important moment than a normal convention agenda might suggest. Europe’s recovered-paper market is firm, but not because paper demand has suddenly surged. Fibre availability is tight, exports remain essential and India and Southeast Asia are helping balance the market. At the same time, Europe is building a much more demanding compliance framework for moving recovered material across borders. The central question for recyclers is whether regulation can improve transparency without removing the export flexibility that currently helps keep recovered fibre moving. That question matters beyond Europe because any disruption to European flows can redirect tonnes, buyers and freight competition across the global recovered-paper market.
Sources: Bureau of International Recycling; European Commission.
