In 2022, the EU exported 6.4 million tons of recyclable products (paper, plastic and glass) to countries outside the EU, an increase of 8.4% compared to 2021. On the other hand, imports amounted to 4 million tons, an increase of 4.2% compared to 2021.

Compared to 2010, the total volume of recyclable products exported to countries outside the EU decreased by more than a third (-35.2%, from 98,000 tons to 6.4 million tons). Total imports increased by 23.9%, from 32,000 tons to 4 million tons.

Recyclable paper is the most exported and imported product

In terms of exports, paper was the most exported recyclable product outside the EU in 2022, accounting for more than three-quarters of exports (77.1% and 4.9 million tons), followed by plastics (17.5% and 1.1 million tons) and glass (5.4% and 300,000 tons).

In the same year, 2.4 million tons of paper were imported, accounting for more than half (59.3%) of all recyclable products imported from outside the EU. The second largest category was plastics (20.6% and 0.8 million tons), followed by glass (20.1% and 0.8 million tons).

India, Turkey and the UK: main export destinations in 2022

India is the largest destination for EU recyclable paper exports in 2022 (29% of total paper exports outside the EU), followed by Indonesia (19%) and Turkey (12%).

Turkey is the largest destination for recyclable plastics exports (29% of total plastics exports outside the EU), followed by Indonesia (17%) and Malaysia (15%).

In 2022, recyclable glass is mainly exported to the UK (46% of total glass exports outside the EU), followed by Switzerland (11%) and Brazil (9%).

UK: largest supplier of recyclable products in the EU

Imports of recyclable products from outside the EU come mainly from the UK, accounting for 47% of total paper imports, 45% of total plastics imports and 47% of total glass imports.

The second largest supplier of recyclable paper is the USA (20% of paper imports outside the EU), followed by Switzerland (14%). Imports of recyclable plastics also come from the USA (8%), followed by Norway (7%). The second largest supplier of recyclable glass is Switzerland (14%), followed by Norway (9%).

Uncovering Foreign Trade Opportunities – Mainly Through Foreign Trade Data

Currently, the government has officially rolled out policies to support the development of the big data industry. In this era, customs data has become an indispensable part of the international trade ecosystem. The new approach to facilitating transactions in the Information Age involves constantly uncovering new business opportunities from customs data using big data analysis methods.

Shanghai Tendata's Foreign Trade Portal covers detailed customs data from 91 countries, (>>> Click to use data online for free) statistical data from 27 EU countries, millions of accurate and genuine buyer information, and detailed information on completed customer transactions. The system offers a one-click generation of 17 types of market data analysis reports, assisting management in making informed decisions effortlessly.

Tendata's foreign trade big data can help foreign trade companies in identifying, marketing to, and managing customers, as well as fulfilling orders with a complete set of products and solutions. In the future, Tendata will continue to explore products to cater to more scenarios within the export industry.

In summary, Tendata is a big data company and a pioneer in the Chinese trade industry, helping foreign trade businesses in customer development, market analysis, trade facilitation, and data output.