"Data analysed by the The Last Beach Cleanup, a US group campaigning to halt plastic pollution, showed that the increase in UK exports in the first half of 2025 was mainly to Indonesia (24,006 tonnes in 2025, up from 525 tonnes in 2024) and Malaysia (28,667 tonnes, up from 18,872 tonnes in 2024). Total plastic waste exports remained relatively high in the first half of 2024 and 2025, at 319,407 and 317,647 tonnes respectively."
"Jan Dell, who works for the group, accused UK ministers of hypocrisy by failing to ban exports to poorer nations. The UK is hypocritically saying, we're part of the high ambition coalition', at the plastics talks. But behind the scenes, it is refusing to set a date to stop exporting to poorer countries, she said. We see it is increasing exports of its own plastic waste to places like Malaysia and Indonesia. She added: It is unethical and irresponsible waste imperialism."
Britain's exports of plastic waste to developing countries increased by 84% in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. The rise concentrated in shipments to Indonesia (24,006 tonnes in H1 2025, up from 525 tonnes) and Malaysia (28,667 tonnes, up from 18,872 tonnes). Total UK plastic waste exports remained high at about 317,647 tonnes in H1 2025, similar to 319,407 tonnes in H1 2024. The share of UK plastic waste sent directly to non‑OECD countries rose to 20% in 2025 from 11% in 2024. The Last Beach Cleanup analysed UN Comtrade data and campaigners called the exports unethical waste imperialism. The EU agreed a ban on waste exports to poorer nations starting November 2026; the UK has no equivalent ban.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]