The United States exported nearly ******* metric tons of scrap plastic in the first quarter of 2023. This was an increase of about ** percent from the previous quarter. In comparison, the U.S. exported more than ******* metric tons of scrap plastic in the first quarter of 2018, but shipments plummeted short after. This drop in exports was mainly due to China's ban on importing foreign waste items, which impacted many exporting countries around the world.
While U.S. plastic waste shipments have been decreasing, U.S. scrap plastic imports have been on the rise in recent years, signaling increased domestic recycling activity.
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ICIS. (June 9, 2023). Plastic scrap exports from the United States from 1st quarter 2018 to 1st quarter 2023 (in 1,000 metric tons) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 20, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1338684/us-plastic-scrap-exports-by-quarter/
ICIS. "Plastic scrap exports from the United States from 1st quarter 2018 to 1st quarter 2023 (in 1,000 metric tons)." Chart. June 9, 2023. Statista. Accessed July 20, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1338684/us-plastic-scrap-exports-by-quarter/
ICIS. (2023). Plastic scrap exports from the United States from 1st quarter 2018 to 1st quarter 2023 (in 1,000 metric tons). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 20, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1338684/us-plastic-scrap-exports-by-quarter/
ICIS. "Plastic Scrap Exports from The United States from 1st Quarter 2018 to 1st Quarter 2023 (in 1,000 Metric Tons)." Statista, Statista Inc., 9 Jun 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1338684/us-plastic-scrap-exports-by-quarter/
ICIS, Plastic scrap exports from the United States from 1st quarter 2018 to 1st quarter 2023 (in 1,000 metric tons) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1338684/us-plastic-scrap-exports-by-quarter/ (last visited July 20, 2025)
Plastic scrap exports from the United States from 1st quarter 2018 to 1st quarter 2023 (in 1,000 metric tons) [Graph], ICIS, June 9, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1338684/us-plastic-scrap-exports-by-quarter/
