The 27 EU member states exported considerably more waste plastic to countries outside of the Union in 2023 in comparison to the previous year. According to preliminary figures from statistics office Eurostat, exports to third countries in 2023 rose by 18 per cent to reach 1.32 million tonnes. However, the baseline year 2022 marked the lowest level of exports since 2003.
The EU’s imports of plastic scrap, on the other hand, fell by 8 per cent to 751,000 tonnes, following years of growth. The EU therefore remains a net exporter....
