Waste, parings and scrap, of plastics

3915 (Harmonized System 1992 for 4-digit)

About

Overview This page contains the latest trade data of Scrap Plastic. In 2022, Scrap Plastic were the world's 613th most traded product, with a total trade of $3.93B. Between 2021 and 2022 the exports of Scrap Plastic grew by 13.6%, from $3.46B to $3.93B. Trade in Scrap Plastic represent 0.017% of total world trade.

Scrap Plastic are a part of Plastics & articles thereof. They include Other plastics waste or scrap, Polyethylene waste or scrap, Polyvinyl chloride waste or scrap, and Polystyrene waste or scrap.

Exports In 2022 the top exporters of Scrap Plastic  were Germany ($355M), Netherlands ($309M), United States ($290M), Japan ($289M), and United Kingdom ($239M).

Imports In 2022 the top importers of Scrap Plastic were United States ($331M), Germany ($305M), Netherlands ($295M), Turkey ($252M), and Malaysia ($238M).

Ranking Scrap Plastic ranks 762nd in the Product Complexity Index (PCI).

Description In many countries, plastic waste is burned to generate electricity. Plastic scrap is melted and reformed into new items. Plastic parings are used to make a number of items including brooms, brushes, and toothbrushes.

Latest Data

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The following visualization shows the latest trends on Scrap Plastic. Countries are shown based on data availability.

For a full breakdown of trade patterns, visit the trend explorer or the product in country profile.

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* Trade values are converted to USD using each month's exchange rate. For December 2023 data, the exchange rate from December 30, 2023 is used.

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Historical Data

Exporters and Importers

Top Origin (2022)Germany$355M
Top Destination (2022)United States$331M

In 2022 Scrap Plastic were the world's 613th most traded product (out of 1,218).

In 2022, the top exporters of Scrap Plastic were Germany ($355M), Netherlands ($309M), United States ($290M), Japan ($289M), and United Kingdom ($239M).

In 2022, the top importers of Scrap Plastic were United States ($331M), Germany ($305M), Netherlands ($295M), Turkey ($252M), and Malaysia ($238M).

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Exporters of Scrap Plastic (2022)
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Importers of Scrap Plastic (2022)
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Market Dynamics

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Top Origin Growth (2021 -  2022)United Kingdom$76.9M
Top Destination Growth (2021 -  2022)Spain$83.1M

Between 2021 and 2022, the exports of Scrap Plastic grew the fastest in United Kingdom ($76.9M), Italy ($41M), Netherlands ($39.4M), Belgium ($32.3M), and France ($31.7M).

Between 2021 and 2022, the fastest growing importers of Scrap Plastic were Spain ($83.1M), Turkey ($66.2M), Germany ($57M), Belgium ($34.6M), and Austria ($30.7M).

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Exporters of Scrap Plastic (2021 - 2022)

Importers of Scrap Plastic (2021 - 2022)

Market Concentration

Value

This chart shows the evolution of the market concentration of exports of Scrap Plastic.

In 2022, market concentration measured using Shannon Entropy, was 5.3. This means that most of the exports of Scrap Plastic are explained by 39 countries.

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Value of Exports in Scrap Plastic

Net Trade

TOP NET EXPORTER (2022)Japan$285M
TOP NET IMPORTER (2022)Turkey$229M

This map shows which countries export or import more of Scrap Plastic. Each country is colored based on the difference in exports and imports of Scrap Plastic during 2022.

In 2022, the countries that had a largest trade value in exports than in imports of Scrap Plastic were Japan ($285M), United Kingdom ($163M), Philippines ($74.1M), Mexico ($64M), and Germany ($50.2M).

In 2022, the countries that had a largest trade value in imports than in exports of Scrap Plastic were Turkey ($229M), Malaysia ($224M), Vietnam ($154M), Chinese Taipei ($103M), and Spain ($88.2M).

Net Trade (2022)

Disaggregation

Value

In 2022, the world most traded Scrap Plastic, disaggragated by their HS6 level were Other plastics waste or scrap ($2.05B), Polyethylene waste or scrap ($1.48B), Polystyrene waste or scrap ($236M), and Polyvinyl chloride waste or scrap ($164M)

HS6 Disaggregation for Scrap Plastic (2022)
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Country Comparison

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Ranking

This visualization shows the countries that have an important ratio of their trade related to Scrap Plastic.
It is possible to select the main countries that export or import Scrap Plastic in the world, or by continent, as well as select the measure of interest.

Top 10 Exporters Countries of Scrap Plastic by percentage of total exports

Potential Exports

Potential Exports

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TOP EXPORT POTENTIALCanada+ $1.29M
TOP IMPORT POTENTIALJapan+ $725k

Scrap Plastic’s highest export potential is Canada. With an export gap of $1.29M.  Scrap Plastic’s highest import potential is Japan with an import gap of $725k.

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Product Complexity

Diversification Frontier

Specialization

The Complexity-Relatedness diagram compares the risk and the strategic value of a product's potential export opportunities. Relatedness is predictive of the probability that a country increases its exports in a product. Complexity, is associated with higher levels of income, economic growth potential, lower income inequality, and lower emissions.

Relatedness vs Country Complexity (2022)

Country by Relatedness

The following visualization shows the relatedness of Scrap Plastic to countries. Higher relatedness values ​​indicate greater knowledge, which predicts a greater probability of exporting that product in the future.

Relative Relatedness by Country (2022)

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