Plastic Waste Trade Watch is a monthly review of information on the international trade in plastic waste. It is produced by Basel Action Network's (BAN) Plastic Waste Transparency Project, which undertakes campaigns, networking, research, and statistical analysis of the trade in plastic waste. The project also maintains the Plastic Waste Transparency Hub on the BAN website, which serves as an overall clearinghouse for news, data, campaigns, and resources.

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In Gampingan village, Malang Regency, East Java, Indonesia, imported plastic waste from Europe burns outside of homes due to residents seeking extra income through the purchase of contaminated paper waste. They separate out the cardboard fragments to sell for paper recycling and sometimes burn the remaining plastic, largely unaware of the horrific health hazards associated with inhaling the smoke. (Image credit: Ecoton, November 2025)

Californian milk cartons may lose recycling symbol

As reported in BAN’s last newsletter, BAN and The Last Beach Cleanup released a Fact Briefing on 2 December 2025 detailing how the US State of California was exporting large amounts of plastic-coated gable cartons as pure paper waste to countries that have specifically banned the import of that contaminated paper waste. Soon thereafter, the LA Times reported that Waste Management, the largest waste management company in the US, apparently not having found an avenue other than the illegal export, informed California on 15 December that it will no longer sort out the cartons for recycling. Since this means Californians won’t have widespread access to recycling these cartons, the recyclable symbol will need to come off under state law. In addition, by 2032, under state law, all single-use packaging will need to be recyclable or compostable. In the meantime, the cartons will no longer be misleading the public into thinking that sustainable, legal recycling is taking place. This development is a major win in the fight against plastic recycling greenwashing, with the hope that more sustainable liquid packaging refillable technologies will be incentivized. 

Major shipping company Hapag-Lloyd tightens documentation requirements for plastic waste bound for Southeast Asia 

Hapag-Lloyd has announced that “Effective February 16, 2026 (based on booking creation date), and applicable to existing bookings with loading dates from February 1, 2026, a completed Letter of Indemnity (LOI) is mandatory for shipments of plastic scraps and metal scraps” to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and Brunei. The company states that the reasons for this change are “increasing regulatory scrutiny in the region” with over 1,500 containers held across Southeast Asia due to “[g]rowing concerns regarding cargo mis-declarations (including undeclared e-waste)”, “[e]nhanced inspection processes by destination authorities”, and “[c]onfirmed instances of inaccurate cargo declarations.”

(Image credit: Wolfgang Weiser on Pexels)

Recycled polyester isn’t as sustainable as everyone thought

A new report commissioned by the Changing Markets Foundation and carried out by the Microplastic Research Group at Çukurova University found that recycled polyester, the fashion industry’s flagship "sustainable" solution, sheds more microfibers than virgin polyester. Through their testing of 51 garments from Adidas, H&M, Nike, Shein, and Zara, they found that recycled polyester releases both the highest number of fibers and the finest particles, worsening the microplastic pollution problem. In addition, there were repeated discrepancies between brands’ online claims and the fiber content listed on the physical labels. The report concludes that the real solution is to reduce virgin and recycled synthetic fiber use across the textile industry. 

The deadly toll of Europe’s plastic waste dumping in Türkiye

A recent article by the Middle East Research and Information Project details the complex web of misdeclarations and corruption that keeps the flood of Europe’s plastic waste flowing into Türkiye, and the horrific toll the recycling sector processing this waste has on vulnerable migrant workers. Many are killed or hurt from poor working conditions, which often results in companies sending “blood money” to families to keep them from pressing for justice.

Seven US states petition for EPA to monitor microplastics in drinking water

The governors of seven states in the US: New Jersey, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Connecticut, sent a petition to the EPA asking that they include microplastics in the 2027 renewal of the agency’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 6 (UCMR-6). Although highly unlikely in the current political climate, if the US EPA acts on the petition, the agency would gather data across the country to better understand the prevalence of microplastics in drinking water, which 175 advocacy groups petitioned for in late 2024. This would represent the first national audit of microplastics in drinking water, which is a major source of microplastic exposure.

UK plastic waste exports reach record highs

Key messages: The UK and EU are increasing plastic waste exports to non-OECD Asian countries and Türkiye, where it is only partially recycled, with residues commonly dumped or burned. Despite a total ban on plastic waste imports to Malaysia from the US, the US continues to ship plastic waste to Malaysia.

2025 monthly plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries, Türkiye, and Mexico

• Japan: 37,622 tonnes/month (October)
• UK: 30,000 tonnes/month (October)
• US: 15,829 tonnes/month (September), including 1,885 tonnes/month to Malaysia, which has banned US plastic waste imports.
• EU: 101,522 tonnes/month (September)
• Germany: 36,211 tonnes/month (September)
• Spain: 16,559 tonnes/month (October)
• Netherlands: 11,903 tonnes/month (August)
• Belgium: 10,0792 tonnes/month (September)
• Italy: 7,844 tonnes/month (September)

Check here for full 2024-year data and latest 2025 data. 

“It’s now clear that microplastics are in every nook and cranny of the human body—in our bones, in our organs, in our brains. […] I’m convinced that this new science that strengthens by the day is a game-changer. I don’t care how clever the justifications of the plastic industry are. When it becomes clear to people that there are measurable and increasing levels of microplastics in the placentas of our wives, in our sisters and our daughters, in the bloodstream of our kids, and the human health impact that this is having, that is the kind of argument that is impossible to ignore, the kind of personal argument that drives change forward.”

-- Rick Smith, President of the Canadian Climate Institute in his TEDx Great Pacific Garbage Patch talk in December. Find details about the event here. 

“Table 1: Industry associations with unsupportive positions on an ambitious UN Global Plastics Treaty, their presence at INC 5.2 along with key memberships” from Corporate Advocacy on the UN Global Plastics Treaty—2025 Update, by Influence Map. The table adds further insight into the identities of the companies and trade associations that engaged in advocacy against a strong treaty at INC 5.2.

Recycling Villages Work in Unsafe Conditions, by TaiwanPlus News. Vietnamese workers face unsafe working conditions as they struggle to manage the hundreds of thousands of tons of plastic waste that are imported from other countries, much of which comes from Europe and the US. Locals report high cancer rates believed to come from exposure to toxins from the waste. 

INC updates



• INC-5.3 is scheduled to take place on 7 February 2026 at the Geneva International Conference Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. There will be no negotiations held during this one-day resumed session. Instead, INC-5.3 will address administrative issues, including the election of the Chair. Four individuals have been nominated for Chair thus far: Mr. Julio Cordano (Chile), Mr. Luay Sadeq AlMukhtar (Iraq), Ms. Nazia Zaib Ali (Pakistan), and Mr. Ndiaye Cheikh Sylla (Senegal). Mr. Cordano is currently the expected pick, but that may change. For the latest updates from the Bureau, see meeting agendas and reports here. The registration deadline for INC-5.3 is 16 January.
• The Bureau of the INC is hosting an informational webinar with Observers ahead of INC-5.3 to provide an update on the logistical preparations for this one-day resumed session. The webinar will be occurring on 22 January 2026 14:00 - 15:50 EAT (GMT+3).
• Plastic regulation was a brief topic during the seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7). After UNEA-7, the Council of the European Union affirmed that EU member States will continue negotiations to develop an “ambitious and effective international legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution […] based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic.” 

There Is Still Hope for an Ambitious Plastics Treaty -- By Rachel Bustamante, policy coordinator at Plastic Pollution Coalition, Tabatha Knudson, the Global Plastics Treaty (GPT) US project coordinator for Break Free From Plastic, and Leah Dunlevy, digital communications manager at Pacific Environment. Published on Common Dreams. 

Upcoming February deadline for comments on plastic waste amendments

Based on a decision at the Basel COP in 2025, “Parties and others are invited to provide comments on the plastic waste amendments, particularly regarding their implementation, challenges and impacts, as applicable” by 28 February 2026. In addition, “Parties and others are invited to submit comments on possible further activities that could be conducted under the Convention on plastic waste” with 28 February 2026 as the proposed deadline, “in line with document preparation deadlines for the fifteenth meeting of the Open-ended Working Group.” See No.10 here for more details.

BRS announces dates and location for 2027 COPs

The next BRS COPs will be held in Panama City from 19 to 30 April 2027. See more details here. 

-- Spinning Greenwash -- Report by the Changing Markets Foundation

#BreakFreeFromPlastic