UK plastic waste exports to developing countries rose 84% in a year, data shows | Plastics

Britain’s exports of plastic waste to growing international locations have soared by 84% within the first half of this 12 months in contrast with final 12 months, in accordance with an evaluation of commerce knowledge carried out for the Guardian.Campaigners described the rise in exports, principally to Malaysia and Indonesia, as “unethical and irresponsible waste imperialism”.In 2023, the EU agreed to ban exports of waste to poorer nations exterior a bunch of primarily wealthy international locations throughout the Organisation for Financial Co-operation and Improvement (OECD). The ban comes into drive in November 2026 for 2 and a half years and could be prolonged. The UK doesn’t have the same ban in place.Information analysed by the The Final Seaside Cleanup, a US group campaigning to halt plastic air pollution, confirmed that the rise in UK exports within the first half of 2025 was primarily to Indonesia (24,006 tonnes in 2025, up from 525 tonnes in 2024) and Malaysia (28,667 tonnes, up from 18,872 tonnes in 2024).Whole plastic waste exports remained comparatively excessive within the first half of 2024 and 2025, at 319,407 and 317,647 tonnes respectively. The share of UK plastic waste going on to non-OECD international locations was 20% of whole plastic waste exports in 2025, up from 11% in 2024.The Final Seaside Cleanup analysed knowledge from the UN Comtrade database to achieve its findings. Jan Dell, who works for the group, accused UK ministers of “hypocrisy” by failing to ban exports to poorer nations.“The UK is hypocritically saying, ‘we’re a part of the excessive ambition coalition’, on the plastics talks. However behind the scenes, it’s refusing to set a date to cease exporting to poorer international locations,” she mentioned. “We see it’s growing exports of its personal plastic waste to locations like Malaysia and Indonesia.”She added: “It’s unethical and irresponsible waste imperialism.”After the collapse of the UN plastic treaty talks in August, Emma Hardy, under-secretary of state on the Division for Atmosphere, Meals and Rural Affairs (Defra), mentioned she was “massively disillusioned” an settlement had not been reached however was happy with the UK’s work in direction of an bold treaty.Britain was a part of a “excessive ambition” coalition of countries calling for the treaty to incorporate binding obligations on lowering plastic manufacturing and consumption, she mentioned.Campaigners are calling for the UK, one of many prime three international locations exporting plastic waste, at about 600,000 tonnes a 12 months, to comply with the EU and ban exports to non-OECD international locations. In addition they need to shut a loophole that makes it cheaper to export plastic waste reasonably than recycle it within the UK.Plastic merchandise, similar to these present in Klang, Selangor in June, are sometimes fly-tipped from factories processing imported plastic waste in Malaysia. {Photograph}: Basel Motion NetworkThe Conservative authorities mentioned in 2023 that it meant to ban plastic waste exports to non-OECD international locations – but it surely by no means occurred.Wong Pui Yi, a Malaysia-based marketing consultant for Basel Motion Community, a bunch championing world environmental well being and justice, mentioned there have been “good guys and unhealthy guys” within the waste commerce.“Numerous waste merchants want to scale back prices,” she mentioned. “If waste falls into the arms of the unhealthy actors, one of many best methods to cut back prices is to keep away from environmental controls. In growing international locations, it’s simpler to keep away from environmental controls on account of weaker legal guidelines and decrease enforcement capability.”In July, the UK’s exports of plastic waste to Malaysia dropped to 2.8% (1,500 tonnes), most certainly because of the nation’s new import restrictions. However as one nation bans or tightens imports, as occurred with China in 2018, the commerce shifts elsewhere.The rise in UK plastic exports to Asia is prone to be an underestimate, specialists say, as a result of rather a lot goes to the Netherlands and different European international locations the place it may be shipped on. The UK additionally exports plastic to Turkey.James McLeary, the managing director of Biffa Polymers, a UK recycling agency, mentioned the UK ought to take accountability for its plastic waste.“It’s simply frequent sense as a human being” he mentioned. “I don’t need my garbage to finish up in Malaysia. I don’t need to marvel if there’s a boy whose life is wasted someplace due to me throwing one thing in a bin exterior my home.”Earlier this month, an investigation referred to as Boy Wasted revealed that, for the final decade, two folks have been crushed, ripped, or burned to dying within the recycling sector in Turkey each month.Adnan Khan, a Canadian journalist whose work on refugee labour in Turkey sparked the investigation, mentioned that whereas Turkey had a licence system for recycling plastic waste, “my analysis exhibits that it’s fairly straightforward to get a licence and the oversight is low. It’s a damaged system.”All EU plastic waste exports needs to be banned to anyplace exterior the EU, he mentioned. “I’d go additional and say each nation ought to care for its personal trash.”A Defra spokesperson mentioned: “The export of waste is topic to strict controls set out in UK laws.“Our assortment and packaging reforms will underpin £10bn price of funding to assist UK primarily based recycling, lowering our dependency on exports of plastic waste.”