On March 23, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued a reply on the issue of grasping the "principle of proximity" in the examination and approval of trans-provincial transfer of hazardous wastes.
Chongqing Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment:
We have received your Request for Instructions on Issues Related to Grasping the "Principle of Proximity" in the Examination and Approval of Trans-provincial Transfer of Hazardous Wastes (Yuhuan [2026] No.10). After study, the reply is as follows. The Measures for the Management of
Hazardous Waste Transfer and related documents put forward that the transfer of hazardous waste should follow the principle of proximity, mainly based on the consideration of environmental risks of provention and control, so as to avoid the increase of environmental risks caused by the large-scale transfer of hazardous waste over a long distance, but at the same time, factors such as utilization and disposal capacity, technology and price should be taken into account comprehensively. It is not a "one-size-fits-all" way to determine whether hazardous waste can be transferred according to distance. The "principle of proximity" should not be directly used as a restrictive condition for the examination and approval of hazardous waste transfer, and should be distinguished according to the specific circumstances.
When hazardous wastes are transferred across provinces, the "principle of proximity" is mainly aimed at hazardous waste incineration, landfill and other disposal activities. When the capacity of relevant hazardous waste disposal facilities is sufficient and the technical and price levels are reasonable, the disposal of hazardous wastes is mainly within the province in principle; If the capacity is insufficient, adjacent provinces or provinces carrying out regional cooperation shall be encouraged to share hazardous waste disposal facilities nearby, or to transfer them to hazardous waste disposal facilities in the overall layout of the country. In terms of utilization, there are great differences in facilities and capacity building for hazardous waste utilization in different regions, and the transfer of hazardous waste is generally regulated by market mechanism. No restrictive administrative barriers of any form shall be set up for the trans-regional transfer of hazardous wastes for the purpose of utilization, and the trans-provincial transfer of hazardous wastes for the purpose of utilization shall not be prevented in the name of following the "principle of proximity".
In addition, within the province, it is strictly forbidden to set up any form of administrative barriers to restrict the transfer, disposal and utilization of hazardous wastes within the province.
Hereby reply.
Contact: Wang Yi
, Department of Solid Waste and Chemicals Tel: (010) General Office
of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, 65645770
, March 13
, 2026
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