Plastic waste exports in Canada
Canada: Plastic waste exports was 0 tonnes in 2024. ▲ Rising
Plastic waste exports in Canada, 1989–2024
Source: United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2024, plastic waste exports in Canada stood at 0 tonnes. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of down 100.0% on the previous year and down 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, plastic waste exports in Canada peaked at 229,625 tonnes in 2008 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 2016.
Canada ranks 144th of 167 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Plastic waste exports in Canada, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 25,059 tonnes | — |
| 1990 | 67,565 tonnes | +169.6% |
| 1991 | 45,678 tonnes | -32.4% |
| 1992 | 44,167 tonnes | -3.3% |
| 1993 | 54,003 tonnes | +22.3% |
| 1994 | 72,294 tonnes | +33.9% |
| 1995 | 78,977 tonnes | +9.2% |
| 1996 | 78,980 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 83,862 tonnes | +6.2% |
| 1998 | 102,061 tonnes | +21.7% |
| 1999 | 124,805 tonnes | +22.3% |
| 2000 | 120,512 tonnes | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 117,723 tonnes | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 120,181 tonnes | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 160,158 tonnes | +33.3% |
| 2004 | 158,572 tonnes | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 211,965 tonnes | +33.7% |
| 2006 | 219,595 tonnes | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 199,873 tonnes | -9.0% |
| 2008 | 229,625 tonnes | +14.9% |
| 2009 | 189,305 tonnes | -17.6% |
| 2010 | 190,480 tonnes | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 198,316 tonnes | +4.1% |
| 2012 | 203,046 tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 170,783 tonnes | -15.9% |
| 2014 | 193,040 tonnes | +13.0% |
| 2015 | 210,628 tonnes | +9.1% |
| 2016 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 2017 | 197,142 tonnes | — |
| 2018 | 158,062 tonnes | -19.8% |
| 2019 | 142,193 tonnes | -10.0% |
| 2020 | 150,207 tonnes | +5.6% |
| 2021 | 170,556 tonnes | +13.5% |
| 2022 | 183,506 tonnes | +7.6% |
| 2023 | 201,784 tonnes | +10.0% |
| 2024 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 0 tonnes is below the median for high income countries, which is 4,588 tonnes. (64 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Plastic waste exports in Canada changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | +169.6% | 25,059 tonnes | 67,565 tonnes |
| 2016 | -100.0% | 210,628 tonnes | 0 tonnes |
| 2024 | -100.0% | 201,784 tonnes | 0 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 25,059 tonnes | 25,059 tonnes | 25,059 tonnes | 1 |
| 1990s | 75,239 tonnes | 44,167 tonnes | 124,805 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 172,751 tonnes | 117,723 tonnes | 229,625 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 166,369 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 210,628 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 141,211 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 201,784 tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 141 Angola 2.03 tonnes compare
- 142 East Timor 1 tonnes compare
- 143 Papua New Guinea 0.828 tonnes compare
- 144 Austria 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Bahrain 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Fiji 0 tonnes compare
- 144 France 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Germany 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Ghana 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Hungary 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Italy 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Jordan 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Kazakhstan 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Lebanon 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Malaysia 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Mexico 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Oman 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Qatar 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Romania 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Singapore 0 tonnes compare
- 144 South Korea 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Spain 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Thailand 0 tonnes compare
- 144 United Arab Emirates 0 tonnes compare
- 144 United Kingdom 0 tonnes compare
- 144 United States 0 tonnes compare
More environment data for Canada
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -6.76 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.642 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.96 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.7 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -0.3398 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is plastic waste exports in Canada?
- Plastic waste exports in Canada was 0 tonnes in 2024, according to United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest plastic waste exports recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 229,625 tonnes in 2008.
- What is the lowest plastic waste exports recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 2016.
- How does Canada rank for plastic waste exports?
- Canada ranks 144th out of 167 countries with data for 2024.
- Is plastic waste exports rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Plastic waste exports. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Amount of plastic waste a country exports to other countries, measured in tonnes per year.