Poor

Environment

Poor countries are recycling far more imported plastic than previously thought, but it’s not enough

Total import volume, trade value, and average unit price of plastic waste paid by the top 22 importers from 2013 to 2022. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51923-4 Countries like Malaysia import tons of plastic waste from Europe every year, paying pennies per kilogram. This may seem strange, but Kai Li says it makes sense. “Residents in the Netherlands pay…