Plastic waste exports in Poland

Poland: Plastic waste exports was 138,380 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
138,380 tonnes
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
4th
of 167 countries
All-time high
192,224 tonnes
in 2016
All-time low
0 tonnes
in 2004
Years of data
31
1994–2024

Plastic waste exports in Poland, 1994–2024

050.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k1994200920241994: 7.0k tonnes1995: 7.3k tonnes1996: 5.3k tonnes1997: 6.8k tonnes1998: 7.2k tonnes1999: 7.8k tonnes2000: 11.3k tonnes2001: 11.7k tonnes2002: 13.7k tonnes2003: 17.4k tonnes2004: 0 tonnes2005: 40.0k tonnes2006: 52.7k tonnes2007: 59.1k tonnes2008: 69.5k tonnes2009: 100.9k tonnes2010: 107.5k tonnes2011: 102.7k tonnes2012: 101.3k tonnes2013: 99.4k tonnes2014: 138.8k tonnes2015: 166.4k tonnes2016: 192.2k tonnes2017: 166.5k tonnes2018: 158.3k tonnes2019: 165.9k tonnes2020: 155.9k tonnes2021: 0 tonnes2022: 170.5k tonnes2023: 136.2k tonnes2024: 138.4k tonnes

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 Poland stood at 138,380 tonnes.

That represents a change of up 1.6% on the previous year and down 0.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, plastic waste exports in Poland peaked at 192,224 tonnes in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 2004.

Poland ranks 4th of 167 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 6,889 tonnes 5,258 tonnes 7,827 tonnes 6
2000s 37,638 tonnes 0 tonnes 100,897 tonnes 10
2010s 139,914 tonnes 99,431 tonnes 192,224 tonnes 10
2020s 120,205 tonnes 0 tonnes 170,523 tonnes 5

Countries ranked near Poland

  1. 1 Japan 683,123 tonnes compare
  2. 2 Netherlands 557,595 tonnes compare
  3. 3 Belgium 362,024 tonnes compare
  4. 5 Sweden 122,610 tonnes compare
  5. 6 Slovenia 115,869 tonnes compare
  6. 7 Czechia 115,364 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 167 places →

More environment data for Poland

All data for Poland →

Frequently asked questions

What is plastic waste exports in Poland?
Plastic waste exports in Poland was 138,380 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 Poland?
The highest recorded value was 192,224 tonnes in 2016.
What is the lowest plastic waste exports recorded in Poland?
The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 2004.
How does Poland rank for plastic waste exports?
Poland ranks 4th out of 167 countries with data for 2024.
Is plastic waste exports rising or falling in Poland?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Poland 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 — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Plastic waste exports
Unit
tonnes
Source
United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
167 places, 3,957 data points, 1988–2024
Last refreshed

The amount of plastic waste a country exports to other countries, measured in tonnes per year.