Please note this report just focuses on the waste polymers of ethylene commodity code (391510), as exports of other plastics are relatively small in volume
After dropping in September, exports of PE polymers for recycling bounced back up in October, the latest HMRC data shows.
A total of 23,895 tonnes was exported from the UK in October up from 16,019 tonnes in September. This makes it a relatively typical month in 2020 terms, and is an increase on October 2019 when 20,587 tonnes left the UK.
The EU as a whole was the main destination with 9,675 tonnes more than doubling the 4,615 tonnes sent in September.
Poland was responsible for the majority of this with 5,222 tonnes, which was a massive jump on just 101 tonnes that went there in September – although the latter was a very unusually low month.
Belgium was next best with 1,585 tonnes, which was an increase on 941 tonnes a month earlier.
Exports to the Netherlands also increased a touch rising to 958 tonnes from September’s 903 tonnes.
Turkey was the best of the non-EU destinations taking 8,264 tonnes in October up from 6,451 tonnes the month before.
The only other significant export destination was Malaysia which imported 5,299 tonnes up from 3,845 tonnes in September.
PE key destinations (391510)
| wdt_ID | Date | China | Malaysia | Vietnam | EU total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 01/12/2017 | 1,593,325 | 8,154,599 | 5,185,643 | 2,356,480 |
| 2 | 01/11/2017 | 1,340,655 | 11,929,056 | 8,441,914 | 5,064,111 |
| 3 | 01/10/2017 | 3,937,218 | 8,448,893 | 9,224,031 | 6,378,656 |
| 4 | 01/09/2017 | 6,735,842 | 8,836,402 | 6,965,057 | 6,021,468 |
| 5 | 01/08/2017 | 12,986,863 | 8,042,469 | 4,297,452 | 6,436,902 |
| 6 | 01/07/2017 | 14,879,464 | 6,984,245 | 2,828,813 | 1,917,806 |
| 7 | 01/06/2017 | 13,836,510 | 5,912,876 | 3,276,369 | 6,344,826 |
| 8 | 01/05/2017 | 10,244,233 | 6,634,566 | 2,371,000 | 5,126,138 |
| 9 | 01/04/2017 | 16,314,413 | 5,812,466 | 1,722,387 | 3,563,463 |
| 10 | 01/03/2017 | 20,367,409 | 2,720,115 | 1,448,964 | 4,328,398 |
Full historic export data
