The short answer
Waste stops being waste once it has gone through a recovery operation and meets the conditions set in European or national end-of-waste criteria. From that moment, it can be traded and used as a product.
What the law says
The EU Waste Framework Directive sets four conditions: the material is commonly used for a specific purpose, there is a market for it, it meets technical requirements and its use has no overall adverse effect on the environment or health.
Who decides
For some materials, criteria are set at EU level. For others, member states decide case by case. In practice, the competent authority assesses each stream and each process.
What it changes for you
With end-of-waste status, a material is no longer subject to waste rules such as notification procedures. That can make transport and trade considerably simpler.
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