91,505 metric tons of plastic waste have been exported from the US to Thailand in 2018. That’s 2000% more than in the previous year– reports the Guardian.
According to the Guardian report, the dramatic spike in US exports of plastic waste to South East Asia countries follows a ban on imports of such waste in China – previously world’s biggest plastic waste importer and recipient of 70% of US plastic waste export.
Even more of US plastic waste ended up in Malaysia (157,299 metric tons, an increase of 273% from 2017) while another 71,220 tons ended up in Vietnam. Those three countries were the recipients of nearly half of US plastic waste in the first six months of 2018.
Along with Britain, Germany, Japan and Mexico, US is the biggest plastic waste exporter to China.
Read the full report HERE
