Title page 1

Contents 4

Abstract 6

Résumé 7

Acknowledgements 8

Executive summary 9

1. Introduction 11

2. Global trade in plastic waste and scrap 14

3. Trade in plastic waste and scrap by OECD Member countries 20

3.1. Balance of trade in OECD countries 20

3.2. Exports by OECD Member countries 21

3.3. The value by weight of plastic waste and scrap traded 28

3.4. The composition of plastic waste and scrap exported by OECD Member countries 29

4. Concluding remarks 33

References 35

Annex A. Methodology 37

Figure 1. Trends in the global plastic waste and scrap by export destination type 15

Figure 2. Change in reported annual export volume of HS 3915 (Waste, parings and scrap, of plastics) by destination type (2017-2024) 16

Figure 3. Key export destinations of plastic waste and scrap globally 17

Figure 4. Trade balance of key export destinations of plastic waste and scrap globally 18

Figure 5. Global trade flows of plastic waste and scrap 19

Figure 6. OECD export and import developments and their share in global trade 21

Figure 7. 2021-2024 exports by OECD Member countries 22

Figure 8. Comparison of annual export volumes between 2023 and 2024 23

Figure 9. Destinations of 2024 OECD country exports 24

Figure 10. Key destinations of OECD exports of plastic waste and scrap in 2024 25

Figure 11. Export intensity of top exporting OECD Member countries in 2024 26

Figure 12. Import intensity of key destinations for OECD exports in 2024 27

Figure 13. Comparison of virgin plastic polymer prices and trade value of plastic waste and scrap 28

Figure 14. Trade value of exports of plastic waste and scrap by OECD Member countries 29

Figure 15. OECD plastic waste and scrap exports by commodity type 30

Figure 16. OECD exports of vinyl chloride waste and scrap 31

Figure 17. Key actors in OECD to non-OECD exports flows of vinyl chloride waste and scrap 32

Boxes 5

Box 1. Changes in international policy for the trade of plastic waste and scrap 11

Box 2. Plastic waste and plastic-containing waste may be traded under HS codes outside the scope of this paper 13

Box 3. Analysing the trade balance of key global export destinations 18

Box 4. A case study of trade intensities 26

Box 5. Relevant work published or underway 34