New research by cleantech startup CleanHub has shown that the top ten countries exporting and importing the most plastic waste globally are responsible for more than 4.4 million tonnes of that waste each year. The same ten nations account for 71% of global plastic waste exports annually. Germany, Japan and the UK rank as the top-three plastic waste exporters, while the Netherlands, Turkey and Germany are the top-three importers. The ten largest exporters are all high-income, developed nations, and seven are European, CleanHub noted. Many nations have reduced their plastic waste exports over the past year – notably the US by 28%, and Germany by 6% – but others have increased it, including Japan (7%), Canada (10%) and the Netherlands by a staggering 69%. Around five million tonnes of used plastic are exported each year, 55% of which are discarded, CleanHub estimates. Exporting plastic waste has become a cheaper way for some of the wealthiest countries to avoid having to recycle, reuse, or properly process millions of tonnes of their own garbage. Instead, they send it to other nations for recycling – despite knowing that vast quantities will be mismanaged through dumping in landfills and burning. This process also keeps their carbon and plastic footprints low, maintaining the impression that they’re progressing towards net zero targets. “Plastic waste exports are a key challenge when tackling the plastic pollution problem,” said Nikki Stones, Vice President of Marketing at CleanHub. “Countries that have the capability to properly process plastics are instead handing over recycling responsibility to those without the infrastructure, who often either dump or burn it, creating toxic water and air supplies. We won’t overcome this challenge by simply passing on the blame.” Instead, wealthy nations should support developing ones in processing plastic waste effectively, Stones suggested.
