Alexei Volkov
The United States has been criticised for exporting plastic waste to developing countries with poor waste management systems, such as China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Despite most countries agreeing not to accept plastic waste, the US continues to export it overseas, with Canada being the leading destination for US scrap plastic exports. The US is facing a dilemma as more countries stop importing waste, and while some cities have implemented taxes or bans on single-use plastics, the country's plastic consumption outpaces its ability to dispose of it.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Leading destination for scrap plastic exports | Canada |
| Mexico | |
| Malaysia | |
| Indonesia | |
| Vietnam | |
| India | |
| Former leading destination | China |
| Year China stopped accepting plastic waste | 2018 |
| Amount of plastic waste the US sent to China annually | 7 million tons |
| Amount of plastic waste the US exported in 2018 | 1.07 million tons |
| Percentage of exports sent to countries with poor waste management | 78% |
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What You'll Learn
- The US sends plastic waste to countries with poor waste management
- Canada is the leading destination for US scrap plastic exports
- China previously imported US plastic waste but introduced a ban in 2018
- US plastic waste is sent to developing nations with inadequate infrastructure
- US plastic is exported to Asian countries with inadequate recycling facilities
The US sends plastic waste to countries with poor waste management
The US has been sending its plastic waste to other countries for decades. In 2018, the US exported 1.07 million tons of plastic waste, about one-third of its recycling. Since China's 2018 ban on importing foreign plastic waste, the US has been sending its plastic waste to countries with poor waste management, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and India.
Malaysia, the biggest recipient of US plastic recycling since the China ban, mismanaged 55% of its own plastic waste, meaning it was dumped or inadequately disposed of at sites such as open landfills. Indonesia and Vietnam improperly managed 81% and 86% of their plastic waste, respectively. In Vietnam, more than half of the imported plastic is sold to "craft villages", where it is processed informally, mainly on a household scale. Informal processing involves washing and melting the plastic, which uses a lot of water and energy and produces a lot of smoke. The untreated water is discharged into waterways, and the plastic that cannot be used is burned, creating further litter and air quality problems.
The US continues to overwhelm these countries with millions of tons of plastic waste every year. This is due to recycling companies looking to dodge responsibility for plastic waste management by shipping the majority to developing countries with looser standards and regulations. However, this strategy of displacing waste problems onto other countries is not sustainable.
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Canada is the leading destination for US scrap plastic exports
Prior to China's crackdown, the US shipped about 7 million tons of plastic waste to China annually, where it was recycled into raw materials. China's decision to cut back on imports was due to concerns about the environmental and economic sustainability of the trade. Much of the imported plastic was contaminated with substances that made it difficult and costly to recycle, such as paper, food waste, and plastic wrap.
Following China's decision, the US began exporting large amounts of plastic waste to developing countries with poor waste management practices, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and India. These countries often lack the infrastructure and regulations to effectively and sustainably process and recycle plastic waste, leading to improper waste disposal methods such as dumping and open burning, which have severe environmental and public health consequences.
Despite the global ban on the trade of plastic waste, the US continues to export scrap plastic, taking advantage of its status as one of the few countries that did not ratify the ban. As a result, Canada has become the primary recipient of US plastic waste exports, with Mexico as the second-largest importer in 2023.
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China previously imported US plastic waste but introduced a ban in 2018
China was the world's largest importer of plastic waste for more than two decades. In 2017, the year before China's strict import ban came into effect, the country imported almost 600,000 metric tons of plastic waste. China's plastics imports have since plummeted by 99%.
In 2017, the Chinese government announced an import ban on solid waste, including several types of plastics and other recyclable waste. The ban came into effect on January 1, 2018, with a 24-item list of prohibited materials. Just two months later, the government announced an even tighter policy that severely reduced the contamination levels that would be allowed on scrap material imports, an amount so low that it effectively functioned as another ban. Customs data showed that the move halved imports of solid waste and nearly ceased imports of scrap plastic in 2018.
The ban has had dramatic repercussions on countries that relied heavily on China to manage their waste. The United States, for instance, was exporting around 4,000 shipping containers of garbage to China every day before the ban. Following the ban, the US rerouted most of its plastic waste shipments to Southeast Asian nations such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia. However, Malaysia, the biggest recipient of US plastic recycling since the China ban, mismanaged 55% of its own plastic waste, leading to dumping or inadequate disposal at sites such as open landfills.
The world's total plastic waste trade flow decreased by 45.5% in 2018 compared to the baseline scenario. The ban has increased the prospects of environmental impact mitigation of plastic waste trade flow worldwide. Experts say that the recycling crisis triggered by the ban could lead to better solutions for managing the world's waste, such as expanding processing capacities in North America and Europe, and encouraging manufacturers to make their products more easily recyclable.
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US plastic waste is sent to developing nations with inadequate infrastructure
The United States has been sending its plastic waste to developing nations with inadequate waste management infrastructure. In 2019, a Guardian investigation revealed that the US was exporting hundreds of thousands of tons of plastic waste to poorly regulated developing countries. These countries, such as Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines, often lack the capacity to properly manage and recycle the influx of plastic waste, leading to environmental and public health concerns.
Malaysia, the biggest recipient of US plastic recycling since China's ban on importing plastic waste in 2018, was found to mismanage 55% of its own plastic waste. This resulted in plastic being dumped or inadequately disposed of in open landfills, leading to long-lasting damage to the environment and communities. Indonesia and Vietnam, which are also significant recipients of US plastic waste, improperly managed 81% and 86% of their plastic waste, respectively.
The export of plastic waste from wealthy nations to developing countries has been a growing concern. In 2021, 187 countries took steps to limit the export of plastic trash from rich to developing countries by signing a treaty that gives nations the power to block the import of contaminated or hard-to-recycle plastic. Unfortunately, the United States was not among the signatories, and it continues to export significant amounts of plastic waste to other countries.
The plastic waste exported by the US often ends up in countries with insufficient waste management infrastructure, leading to further environmental and health risks. In these countries, plastic waste may be incinerated, releasing toxic chemicals that contaminate the air, water sources, and food chains. It may also be dumped into uncontrolled waste sites or directly into the environment, leading to ecosystem impairment and health issues for residents, as seen in Manila, Philippines.
The Basel Convention, a framework designed to control the international movement of hazardous waste, has been in place since 1989. However, violations of agreements regulating the international plastic waste trade have been rampant. The Basel Action Network (BAN) reported that the US, Canada, and the European Union have continued to offload hundreds of millions of tons of plastic waste to other countries, contributing to toxic pollution and its detrimental impact on communities and ecosystems in the importing countries.
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US plastic is exported to Asian countries with inadequate recycling facilities
The United States used to export a significant amount of its plastic waste to China, with around 7 million tons of plastic trash sent there annually. However, in 2018, China implemented the National Sword policy, drastically cutting back on its imports of plastic waste. This has resulted in a shift in the destination of US plastic waste exports. While Canada and Mexico have become significant recipients of US plastic scrap, a substantial amount is also being shipped to developing countries in Asia, particularly in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and India.
These countries often lack the infrastructure and regulations to effectively manage and recycle the influx of plastic waste. For instance, Malaysia, the biggest recipient of US plastic recycling since the China ban, mismanaged 55% of its plastic waste. Similarly, Indonesia and Vietnam improperly managed 81% and 86% of their plastic waste, respectively. This has led to environmental and public health concerns, as informal recycling processes in these countries often involve burning plastic, which releases harmful pollutants, and discharging untreated water into waterways.
The export of plastic waste from the US to these countries is driven by the high cost of recycling domestically and the lack of infrastructure to manage the volume of waste generated. Recycling companies in the US seek to reduce their costs by exporting waste to countries with looser standards and regulations. However, this practice has been criticized as unsustainable and detrimental to the environment and communities in the recipient countries.
The Basel Action Network, a nonprofit group lobbying against the plastic waste trade, has highlighted the issue of illegal trafficking of plastic waste. Despite international laws restricting the trade of plastic scrap, the United States, as a non-ratifying country, continues to export waste to countries that have agreed not to accept it. This has resulted in the overwhelming of poorer nations with US plastic waste, as highlighted by investigations conducted by The Guardian and other media organizations.
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Frequently asked questions
The US sends plastic to developing countries with poor waste management, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and India.
The US used to send plastic to China, but in 2018, China banned the import of plastic waste. Now, the US is looking for new places to send its plastic waste.
The US sends all sorts of plastic to other countries, including plastic bottles, bags, yogurt containers, shampoo bottles, and juice containers.
Once the plastic reaches these countries, it is often mismanaged and dumped or inadequately disposed of in open landfills. This has negative consequences for public health and the environment.
To reduce the impact of plastic waste, governments, corporations, and individuals must work together to find creative solutions to reduce, recycle, and repurpose plastic waste. This may include improving domestic recycling infrastructure and regulations, as well as reducing plastic consumption and promoting sustainable alternatives.
