The draft Commission Implementing Regulation sets harmonised Union-wide end-of-waste criteria for plastic waste, in accordance with the empowerment set out in Article 6(2) of Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on waste. The draft Commission Implementing Regulation will apply to all discarded thermoplastic plastic polymers and blends of thermoplastic polymers, regardless of the polymer type and source of the waste, which can be used as input for mechanical or solvent-based recycling. The Union-wide end-of-waste criteria will apply also to operators in third countries that would like to place on the union market recycled plastic as non-waste (article 5 of the Commission Implementing Regulation).