Exports of waste paper and cardboard

Exports of waste paper and cardboard are regulated under the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020 (the RaWR Act) and Recycling and Waste Reduction (Export—Waste Paper and Cardboard) Rules 2024.

Paper and cardboard we regulate

Regulated waste paper and cardboard means:

• mixed or unsorted paper and cardboard that is discarded, rejected or left-over from an industrial, commercial, domestic, or other activity; or
• mixed or unsorted paper and cardboard that is surplus to, or a by-product of, an industrial, commercial, domestic, or other activity.

For guidance purposes only, this waste type:

• is generally (but not necessarily) sourced from commingled recycling
• contains more than one type of waste paper and cardboard and has not been sorted into a single grade/material type
• is exported under the 47079000 Australian Harmonised Export Commodity Classification (AHECC) code
• has been separated from other materials/contaminants to meet country/importer requirements.

From 1 July 2026, every consignment of paper and cardboard exported must not exceed 5% total contamination by weight.

Paper and cardboard waste we don’t regulate

You don’t need a licence to export waste paper and cardboard that is:

• pulp of fibres derived from recovered (waste and scrap) paper or paperboard or of other fibrous cellulosic material of a single / non-mixed grade of paper and cardboard pulp type
• sorted liquid paperboard products (which comprise layers of paper, aluminium foil, and plastic coating).
• is exported solely for personal or domestic use
• has been imported into Australia on a temporary basis and re-exported in the same container and with the same trade description.

Hazardous waste

Some waste exports are controlled under the Hazardous Waste (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Act 1989 (the Hazardous Waste Act). The Hazardous Waste Act gives effect to the Basel Convention (the Convention) in Australia.

Exports of waste paper and cardboard will require a hazardous waste permit if any of the following apply:

• It does not meet contamination thresholds in the importing or transit countries, even if it meets the 5% limit under the RaWR Act.
• It is mixed with other wastes (e.g. plastics, metals, food waste).
• It contains contaminants listed in Annex I of the Convention, regardless of the amount.

Common potentially hazardous materials found in paper and cardboard include PFAS, mineral oils and adhesives. The source of the material may also suggest a hazardous characteristic (e.g. medical waste).

Your responsibilities:

• Check requirements and contamination thresholds with the Competent Authority of every country involved. This includes transit countries. If you don’t meet the requirements, you may be required to ship the waste back to Australia at your own expense.
• If your waste is controlled under the Hazardous Waste Act, you must hold a hazardous waste permit. If you hold a hazardous waste permit for the material, you do not need a separate waste export licence under the RaWR Act.
• If you are unsure whether your waste is hazardous, please contact the Hazardous Waste team. You can email hazardous.waste@nationalepa.gov.au.

Find out more about Exporting, importing or transiting hazardous waste.

What you must do

Apply for a licence

You must apply for and be granted, a waste export licence to export regulated waste paper and cardboard. 

Find out more:

• Evidence to provide with your licence application – general
• Evidence to provide with your licence application – paper and cardboard
• Apply for a licence.

Declare your exports

Once you have been granted a waste export licence, you must:

• declare details of each consignment, including contamination level (%), in the Waste Export Licensing and Declarations (WELD) portal, then
• declare your export in the Australian Border Force’s Integrated Cargo System.

For more information on how to declare a consignment at time of export refer to Declare exports of waste.

Apply to renew your licence

Waste paper and cardboard licence holders must submit a renewal application at least:

• 90 days before the expiry date, if the date is on or before 1 July 2026, or
• 30 days before the expiry date of the licence, if the date is after 1 July 2026.

We cannot accept a renewal application submitted outside these timeframes. If you do not submit a renewal application within these timeframes, you will need to apply for a new licence.

Find out how to renew your licence.

Contact us

WELD portal: if you have a WELD portal account, contact us via ‘My messages’

Email: exportwaste@nationalepa.gov.au

Phone: 1800 976 422