The total amount of plastic waste shipped to Asia - Find a freedom of information request

Request

1. The total amount of plastic waste shipped to Asia from your organisation over the past five years, organised by year (e.g. 10 tonnes in 2019, 20 tonnes in 2020). 

2. The countries that the plastic waste was shipped to. 

Decision

I can confirm that the information requested is held by Lincolnshire County Council. I have detailed below the information that is being released to you.

Plastic within our mixed dry recycling is collected by means of co-mingled kerbside collections and sent to our contractor in Lincolnshire for sorting and onward processing.

Our contractors are responsible for the end destinations of the material and where possible endeavour to ensure that that it is recycled within the UK.

Based on the information that you have requested we hold the following information:

2018

China = 56.68 tonnes (sorted into different polymer types HD , PET , PP ,PS and pelletised into recycled pellets) Korea = 283.16 tonnes (sorted into different polymer types HD , PET , PP ,PS and pelletised into recycled pellets) Malaysia = 118.94 tonnes (sorted and pelletised into R LDPE pellets)

This equated to 15% of all plastics sent to the contractor within this year

2019

Taiwan = 23.70 tonnes (sorted and pelletised into R LDPE pellets)

Malaysia = 25.48 tonnes (sorted and pelletised into R LDPE pellets)

This equated to 5% of all plastics sent to the contractor within this year

2020

Zero

2021

Zero

2022

Malaysia = 469.56 tonnes (sorted and pelletised into R LDPE pellets)

This equated to 5% of all plastics sent to the contractor within this year

Reference number
FOI 5913649
Date request received
16/01/23
Date of decision
16/02/23