China was the main export destination for the United Kingdom's plastic waste up until 2017, with shipments peaking in 2011 at nearly 332,000 metric tons. Exports to China have plummeted since 2018 following the country's ban on several types of foreign waste imports, including plastic.
As a result of the ban, the UK began sending waste to other countries such as the Netherlands. Turkey has also emerged as a leading export market for UK plastic – being the leading destination for UK plastic waste exports in 2023 – while shipments to developing countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam have all declined.
Plastic waste exports from the United Kingdom (UK) from 2005 to 2023, by select destination
(in metric tons)
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Trade Map. (September 12, 2024). Plastic waste exports from the United Kingdom (UK) from 2005 to 2023, by select destination (in metric tons) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved February 14, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1269079/plastics-waste-export-destination-united-kingdom/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Trade Map. "Plastic waste exports from the United Kingdom (UK) from 2005 to 2023, by select destination (in metric tons)." Chart. September 12, 2024. Statista. Accessed February 14, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1269079/plastics-waste-export-destination-united-kingdom/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Trade Map. (2024). Plastic waste exports from the United Kingdom (UK) from 2005 to 2023, by select destination (in metric tons). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: February 14, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1269079/plastics-waste-export-destination-united-kingdom/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Trade Map. "Plastic Waste Exports from The United Kingdom (Uk) from 2005 to 2023, by Select Destination (in Metric Tons)." Statista, Statista Inc., 12 Sep 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1269079/plastics-waste-export-destination-united-kingdom/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Trade Map, Plastic waste exports from the United Kingdom (UK) from 2005 to 2023, by select destination (in metric tons) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1269079/plastics-waste-export-destination-united-kingdom/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed (last visited February 14, 2025)
Plastic waste exports from the United Kingdom (UK) from 2005 to 2023, by select destination (in metric tons) [Graph], Trade Map, September 12, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1269079/plastics-waste-export-destination-united-kingdom/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
