According to Eurostat, significantly more used plastics were again exported from European Union countries to non-EU countries.
 

As Euwid reports, exports from the 27 EU states to non-EU countries rose to 1.5 million tonnes in 2024, according to the European statistics office Eurostat. This represents an increase of around 13 percent compared to 2023 and is also the highest level since 2020. Imports of used plastics into the EU have also increased. The main customer for the EU's plastic waste exports was Turkey, with 426,000 tonnes. According to the data, this is one third more than in 2023. Malaysia followed in second place, as in the previous year. The 27 EU states exported around 344,000 tonnes of plastic scrap to the country last year, which is 22 percent more than in the previous year. Exports to Vietnam also rose by almost 27 per cent to 187,000 tonnes, while exports to Indonesia stagnated at 208,000 tonnes. Contrary to the trend, deliveries to Great Britain fell by more than a fifth to 188,000 tonnes. As in previous years, Germany was the largest exporter of used plastics among EU member states in 2024. According to the statistics, German exports to countries outside the Union totalled around 383,000 tonnes – an increase of 22 per cent over 2023.
 
In contrast to EU exports, which despite the recent increase are still well below the levels of previous years, EU imports of used plastics are close to their historic peak. In 2024, 779,000 tonnes of plastic waste were imported into the Union from third countries. This was 3.5 per cent more than in the previous year, but still below the previous peak of 818,000 tonnes in 2022. By far the largest share of EU scrap plastic imports come from the former member state of Great Britain. In 2024, it was 403,000 tonnes, an increase of almost five per cent over the previous year. Imports from Norway and the USA also rose by seven and five per cent respectively, while almost one per cent less waste plastic was imported into the EU from Switzerland.
 
Sources:

• euwid-recycling.de (26.3.2025)
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