Plastic waste exports in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Plastic waste exports was 0 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
0 tonnes
World rank
144th
of 167 countries
All-time high
880,577 tonnes
in 2011
All-time low
0 tonnes
in 2019
Years of data
32
1993–2024
Plastic waste exports in United Kingdom, 1993–2024
Source: United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 0 tonnes for plastic waste exports in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 32 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, plastic waste exports in United Kingdom peaked at 880,577 tonnes in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 2019.
United Kingdom ranks 144th of 167 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Plastic waste exports in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 23,093 tonnes | — |
| 1994 | 22,321 tonnes | -3.3% |
| 1995 | 22,963 tonnes | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 25,973 tonnes | +13.1% |
| 1997 | 33,497 tonnes | +29.0% |
| 1998 | 38,731 tonnes | +15.6% |
| 1999 | 47,365 tonnes | +22.3% |
| 2000 | 82,218 tonnes | +73.6% |
| 2001 | 86,167 tonnes | +4.8% |
| 2002 | 117,193 tonnes | +36.0% |
| 2003 | 197,687 tonnes | +68.7% |
| 2004 | 344,343 tonnes | +74.2% |
| 2005 | 324,535 tonnes | -5.8% |
| 2006 | 440,852 tonnes | +35.8% |
| 2007 | 548,298 tonnes | +24.4% |
| 2008 | 654,393 tonnes | +19.3% |
| 2009 | 711,223 tonnes | +8.7% |
| 2010 | 838,188 tonnes | +17.9% |
| 2011 | 880,577 tonnes | +5.1% |
| 2012 | 811,509 tonnes | -7.8% |
| 2013 | 648,639 tonnes | -20.1% |
| 2014 | 764,607 tonnes | +17.9% |
| 2015 | 791,554 tonnes | +3.5% |
| 2016 | 805,072 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 678,121 tonnes | -15.8% |
| 2018 | 639,795 tonnes | -5.7% |
| 2019 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 2020 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 2021 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 2022 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 2023 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 2024 | 0 tonnes | — |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 0 tonnes is below the median for high income countries, which is 4,588 tonnes. (64 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 0 tonnes is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7,198 tonnes. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 30,563 tonnes | 22,321 tonnes | 47,365 tonnes | 7 |
| 2000s | 350,691 tonnes | 82,218 tonnes | 711,223 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 685,806 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 880,577 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 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 Canada 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 States 0 tonnes compare
More environment data for United Kingdom
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -3.13 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.25 Percentage change (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -3.47 % 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 -0.8735 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual -1.29 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is plastic waste exports in United Kingdom?
- Plastic waste exports in United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 880,577 tonnes in 2011.
- What is the lowest plastic waste exports recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 2019.
- How does United Kingdom rank for plastic waste exports?
- United Kingdom ranks 144th out of 167 countries with data for 2024.
- Is plastic waste exports rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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 — 32 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.