Step 2: Recycling and Export
Overview of the process to determine the shares of recycling and export out of the domestic waste generated.
Last updated
Was this helpful?
Overview of the process to determine the shares of recycling and export out of the domestic waste generated.
Last updated
Was this helpful?
In this step, we calculate the share of waste generated that is recycled or exported for each polymer and packaging category. At this stage, waste trade (both imports and exports) is also taken into account. While waste export is a key outcome of the model, the import of waste is equally important for accurately allocating quantities among various waste management pathways.
The inclusion of waste imports is crucial because recycling data often provides the total amount of plastic recycled without distinguishing whether the material originates from domestic or imported waste. To differentiate between recycling of domestic and imported waste, we must account for waste imports as well.
Based on the volumes of imported waste, exports, and recycling, a country is categorised into one of four profiles to reflect its approach to managing imported waste:
Recycler: Primarily recycles imported waste, disposing of only a minimal amount.
Trade Hub: Mainly re-exports imported waste with minimal recycling or disposal.
Disposer: Disposes of a significant portion of imported waste.
Mixed Profile: Combines characteristics of the above categories, determined on a case-by-case basis using relevant literature.
This classification provides an approach to determine how each country manages imported waste.
After addressing waste trade considerations, we proceed to analyse a country’s recycling practices. The model uses recycling quantities by polymer as input. Based on the country's profile, a portion of these quantities is allocated to the recycling of imported waste, with the remainder attributed to the recycling of domestic waste. This domestic recycling quantity is then distributed across different sectors. Within the packaging sector, it is further divided into various categories to achieve the model’s desired granularity.
Recycling is allocated by sector proportionally to the waste generated by each sector, and accounting for the sector's activity in using recycled plastics. Once the amounts are assigned by sector and polymer, the focus shifts to the packaging sector, where recycling quantities are allocated among different packaging categories. This distribution considers two main factors: the waste quantities generated by each category and the recyclability of each category — i.e., how readily that type of packaging can be recycled.
For instance, PET food bottles are generally more widely collected and recycled compared to PET non-food rigid packaging. As such, when assigning PET recycling quantities, a larger share is allocated to bottles, with smaller proportions assigned to other categories.
A similar approach is used for analysing plastic waste exports. Here, the starting value is the total plastic waste exported by the country. Using the country profile, we exclude the portion representing the re-export of imported waste, leaving only the export of domestic waste.
This remaining quantity is then distributed by polymer, sector, and ultimately packaging category. The allocation by sector is based on the proportion of waste generated by each sector. Within the packaging sector, the distribution by polymer and category is proportional to the waste quantities generated by polymer and category, after removing the share of recycling. The assumption underlying this step is that, once recycling — typically highly dependent on polymer and category — is addressed, the remaining waste is exported with minimal differentiation between polymers and categories.
