UK Plastic Waste Exports to Developing Nations Surge by 84%

According to an analysis of trade data, the UK's exports of plastic waste to developing countries have soared by 84% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. This increase in exports, primarily to Malaysia and Indonesia, has been met with strong criticism from campaigners who describe it as "unethical and irresponsible waste imperialism."

In contrast, the EU agreed in 2023 to ban exports of waste to poorer nations outside a group of mainly rich countries within the OECD, with the ban coming into force in November 2026. However, the UK has not implemented a similar ban, allowing its plastic waste exports to continue rising.

The data analyzed by The Last Beach Cleanup, a US group campaigning to halt plastic pollution, shows that UK plastic waste exports to Indonesia increased from 525 tonnes in 2024 to 24,006 tonnes in 2025, while exports to Malaysia rose from 18,872 tonnes to 28,667 tonnes over the same period. Overall, the percentage of UK plastic waste going directly to non-OECD countries increased from 11% in 2024 to 20% in 2025.

Experts warn that this is a "broken system" that allows waste traders to avoid environmental controls in developing countries due to weaker laws and lower enforcement capacity. Campaigners are calling for the UK, one of the top three countries exporting plastic waste, to follow the EU's lead and ban exports to non-OECD countries.