Plastic Exports: Us Impact On The World

The United States has been exporting millions of tons of plastic waste to other countries, despite international agreements to limit such trade. In 2018, the US exported about 1 million tons of plastic waste, with 78% going to countries with poor waste management systems, such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and China. These countries often lack the infrastructure and regulations to effectively process and recycle plastic waste, leading to environmental and social harms. While the US has reduced its plastic waste exports to China following stricter regulations, it has shifted its focus to other countries, overwhelming them with plastic waste. This has led to concerns about the contribution of rich countries, like the US, to global plastic pollution and the need for better waste management practices.

The US exported 1.07 million tons of plastic waste in 2018

In 2018, the US exported 1.07 million tons of plastic waste, which was about a third of its recycling for that year. Data from the US Census Bureau shows that 78% of these exports were sent to countries with poor waste management, such as China, India, Malaysia, and Indonesia. These countries lack the infrastructure and regulations to effectively and sustainably sort, process, and recycle plastic waste into new materials.

The US continues to export large quantities of plastic waste to countries that are already overwhelmed by plastic pollution. For example, Malaysia, the biggest recipient of US plastic recycling since China's ban on foreign plastic, mismanaged 55% of its own plastic waste. This means that a large portion of the plastic waste was dumped or inadequately disposed of at sites such as open landfills. Indonesia and Vietnam also improperly managed 81% and 86% of their plastic waste, respectively.

The US is facing a dilemma as more and more countries stop importing waste. Recycling companies in the US are looking to dodge responsibility for plastic waste management by shipping it to developing countries with looser standards and regulations. However, this strategy of displacing waste problems onto other countries is not sustainable.

To address this issue, US cities and states can follow Washington State's proposed Plastic Packaging Stewardship legislation, which aims to ensure that plastic packaging exported for recycling is managed in an environmentally sound and socially just manner. Additionally, cities can adopt Palo Alto's new waste management contract model, which requires the contractor to track the final destination of waste and assess environmental and human rights violations.

78% of US plastic waste was sent to countries with poor waste management

The United States has been exporting a significant amount of its plastic waste to other countries, with a large proportion being sent to nations with poor waste management systems. In 2018, it was estimated that the US exported approximately 1.07 million tons of plastic waste, which accounted for about one-third of its recycling efforts. Notably, 78% of this exported waste was directed towards countries with inadequate waste management infrastructure and regulations. This figure highlights an alarming trend in the US waste management practices, which has significant environmental and social implications.

The issue of US plastic waste being sent to countries with poor waste management is a pressing concern. Despite global efforts to curb the trade in plastic waste, the US continues to ship substantial quantities of plastic scrap overseas, particularly to poorer nations. This practice has been attributed to the interpretation of new rules governing plastic waste exports. While it is now illegal for most countries to accept all but the purest forms of plastic scrap from the US, there is no explicit prohibition on the US from sending such waste. As a result, countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand have been inundated with American plastic waste.

The impact of these exports on recipient countries is profound. In Vietnam, for instance, more than half of the imported plastic is sold to "craft villages," where it is processed informally, often on a household scale. This informal processing involves washing and melting plastic, which consumes substantial water and energy resources and produces copious amounts of smoke. The untreated water is discharged into waterways, and the unusable plastic is burned or dumped, leading to air pollution and further littering.

Additionally, the US has been criticized for its role in exacerbating ocean plastic pollution. According to reports, the US chemical, plastics, and consumer product companies have pointed to Asian countries as the primary source of ocean plastic pollution. However, it is important to recognize that these same countries, such as Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam, lack sufficient waste management systems. The influx of plastic waste from the US and other developed nations has overwhelmed these countries, leading to improper waste management and, ultimately, contributing to the pollution of oceans and rivers.

To address this critical issue, several measures can be implemented. Firstly, the US should cease exporting plastic waste to countries that are ill-equipped to manage it responsibly. Secondly, US cities and states can adopt legislation similar to Washington State's proposed Plastic Packaging Stewardship legislation, which ensures that exported plastic packaging is managed in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, adhering to health and environmental protection standards comparable to those in the US. Lastly, by following models like Palo Alto's new waste management contract, cities can retain the right to direct waste purchasers to address any environmental and social concerns that arise.

China banned plastic waste imports in 2018

China's waste import ban, which came into effect on January 1, 2018, prevented foreign inflows of 24 categories of waste products, including plastics with a contamination level of above 0.05 percent. The ban was announced in July 2017 and implemented on August 16, 2017, with an even tighter policy taking effect on March 1, 2018, severely reducing the allowable contamination levels on scrap material imports.

China was the world's largest importer of waste plastics, accounting for 56% of the global market, and the US was one of the main source countries. In 2016, the University of Georgia estimated that plastic waste imports added an extra 10.8% to the plastic waste China generated domestically, an additional 7.4 million metric tons on top of the 60.9 million metric tons of domestic plastic trash created that year. China had been the dumping ground for foreign nations' trash for over two decades, and plastic pollution had plagued the country for decades. The waste-recycling industry, which once contributed to the country's prosperity and rapid industrialization, had become a low-profit enterprise that was largely responsible for a massive increase in air and water pollution.

The ban has had widespread repercussions globally, especially in countries that highly depended on China to manage their waste. The US, for example, continues to ship more than 1 million tons of plastic waste overseas annually, much of it to places that are already overwhelmed by plastic waste. Malaysia, the biggest recipient of US plastic recycling since the China ban, mismanages over half of its own plastic waste, meaning it is dumped or inadequately disposed of at sites such as open landfills. Indonesia and Vietnam improperly manage 81% and 86% of their plastic waste, respectively.

To address the issue of plastic waste piling up in landfills, some countries, like Western Australia, have banned all retailers from using lightweight plastic shopping bags. Cities in the US, like Palo Alto, have also implemented waste management contract models that require contractors to track the final destination of waste and assess environmental and human rights violations.

The US sends plastic waste to countries in Asia

The US has been sending plastic waste to countries in Asia, with reports showing that these countries are struggling to process and manage the influx of plastic waste. In 2018, the US exported more than 1 million tons of plastic waste overseas, with Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam being some of the biggest recipients.

China's decision to ban plastic waste imports in 2018 sent the plastic waste import problem to Southeast Asia. Thailand saw a nearly 2000% increase in US plastic waste imports in the first half of 2018, while Malaysia and Vietnam also experienced significant increases of 273% and 46%, respectively. The US has also been sending plastic waste to other Asian countries like Turkey, South Korea, India, Cambodia, Laos, and Indonesia.

The plastic waste exported by the US has negatively impacted the environment and communities in these Asian countries. In Thailand, for example, communities are affected by dirty recycling factories and plastic waste factories, and the price of plastic waste has decreased, affecting the livelihoods of informal waste pickers. In Vietnam, more than half of the imported plastic is processed informally, leading to water pollution and air quality issues.

The US's continued export of plastic waste to countries with poor waste management practices has been criticized by environmental groups and experts. Despite international agreements and efforts to curb the trade in plastic waste, the US has not ratified or complied with global bans and continues to send plastic waste overseas. Some states and cities in the US, like Washington State and Palo Alto, have taken initiatives to address this issue by implementing legislation and waste management models that prioritize environmental and social justice.

The US is one of the largest exporters of plastic waste

The United States is one of the largest exporters of plastic waste, with around 1 million tons of plastic waste exported in 2018, about one-third of its recycling. The US exported about 5% of its plastic waste in 2010, and this number has only increased in the following years. In 2018, the US exported 157,000 shipping containers of plastic waste to countries with poor waste management, with 78% of exports sent to these countries.

The US has been sending plastic waste to countries that are already overwhelmed by it, such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. These countries lack the infrastructure and regulations to effectively and sustainably sort, process, and recycle plastic waste. Despite international agreements to limit exports of plastic waste from richer countries to poorer ones, the US continues to export large quantities of plastic scrap to these nations.

A significant amount of US plastic waste is also exported to Turkey, where it is collected by scrap pickers and resold to factories for manufacturing into new products. The plastic waste trade is driven by recycling companies looking to avoid responsibility for waste management by sending it to countries with looser standards and regulations. However, this strategy is not sustainable, as more countries are implementing policies to limit or ban plastic waste imports.

The negative impacts of the plastic waste trade are evident, with environmental and social harms caused by improper waste management in recipient countries. Plastic waste that is burned or dumped contributes to air and water pollution, creating a range of health and environmental issues. To address this issue, the US must stop exporting plastic waste to countries with poor waste management and instead focus on reducing single-use plastics and improving domestic recycling infrastructure.

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