Royal Decree No. M/3 of 2021 issuing the Waste Management System.

This Law consisting of 38 articles divided into X Chapters aims at regulating the transport, segregation, storage, import, export, safe disposal of waste, and all other activities related to it, including aftercare of waste disposal sites and it does not apply to radioactive, nuclear, and military waste. The Law aims as well to encourage everyone who engages in an activity related to waste management to provide the best environmental and economic results, according to the following priorities (i) recycling; (ii) resource recovery; and (iii) safe disposal. The regulatory authority is the National Waste Management Center (NWMC) which (i) issues the licenses for engaging in any activity related to waste management; (ii) has the right to dispose of waste in a manner that achieves financial sustainability and covers the operational costs of the competent authorities that may dispose of the waste after the approval of the Center; (iii) prepares the comprehensive strategic plan for waste management in coordination with the relevant authorities, and successively each competent authority shall develop operational plans for waste management that are compatible with the comprehensive strategic plan; (iv) prepares contingency plans.
Waste producers must conserve natural resources and materials, reuse products, reduce waste, store it in the designated areas, and separate it for reuse or recycling (art.11). Article 12 regulates (i) the management of waste produced by marine craft, resulting from those vehicles or the process of their operation; (ii) the waste reception facilities operating in the ports; (iii) the service providers licensed by the Center to transport and treat waste received at the ports or resulting from their operations. Each producer and importer must assume the extended responsibility of the producer, to achieve financial sustainability in the waste management sector based on the principle of circular economy (art.14). Hazardous waste transporters must use means of transportation that conform with NWMC standards, place warning labels and ensure the existence of documentation about the transported hazardous waste (art.17). Article 19 regulates the import and export of waste and prohibits the import of hazardous waste without a permit, as well as the import of recycled waste in addition to recycled used products, devices, and equipment.
The X Chapters are entitled as follows: Definitions (I); General provisions (II); Waste Producer Responsibility (III); Contracting for the provision of waste management services (IV); Service Provider Responsibility (V); Import and export of waste (VI); The dealing with emergencies (VII); Financial compensations (VIII); Civil and criminal liability, rehabilitation and compensation (IX); Violations, their control and the imposition of penalties (X).