China biggest importer of plastic waste, India among top 10

India stood among the top 10 countries importing plastic waste in the period 1988 to 2016. It imported 3.1 million metric tons in 28 years, according to research done by University of Georgia researchers.

The total trade value of imports in India was $1.2 billion which marked the 1.3% of the global imports. China with an import of 170.5 million metric tons (MMT) topped the charts, accounting for 72.4% of the global imports.

The world is facing a new problem as China, last year, decided to ban the imports of plastic waste into the country. Now a lot of countries will have to make new plans for their disposal or, alternatively, make plans to fill the massive void in the market that's been left by China.

The US, Europe and Oceania have been the major exporter of plastic waste to China.

Among the major exporters, globally, Hong Kong, the US, and Japan grabbed top three spots in the period 1988-2016. The export volume from these three countries was, respectively, 56.1 MMT, 26.7 MMT, and 22.2 MMT.

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The rest of the countries in the top ten exporters of plastic waste in the period were Germany, Mexico, the UK, the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Canada. Together, these countries made 78% of the global exports.