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.
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
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 768.06 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 18.61 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 30.53 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.7994 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 71.72 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.2499 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 133.08 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.1643 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.5773 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 28.85 Mt CO2e (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
The amount of plastic waste a country exports to other countries, measured in tonnes per year.