>Most plastic waste is traded within world regions, rather than between them

>Where does plastic waste flow across the world?

>Europe is the region that exports the most plastic, but it’s also the region that imports the most.

>This is true more generally. Most plastic is traded within a given region. European countries export most plastic to other European countries. Asian countries export most to other Asian countries.

>In the visualization, we see the flow of plastic across the world. On the left we have the exporters of plastic waste; on the right, we see where that plastic ends up. The height of each bar is proportional to the amount of plastic that is traded.

>Europe is the biggest exporter of plastic. But, it’s also the biggest importer. Many countries across Europe trade with one another. At the national level, Germany is the biggest exporter and importer – it trades different plastics with its neighbors including the Netherlands, Poland, Austria, and Switzerland.

>This is also true of Asia, where Japan is the biggest exporter to other countries in Asia.

https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-waste-trade