Recyclable raw materials trade volume in the European Union 2005-2023, by flow
The European Union (EU-27) exported 39.3 million metric tons of recyclable waste to non-EU countries in 2023 – an increase of roughly eight percent from the previous year. When compared to 2005, exports of recyclable waste from the EU-27 have increased by almost 70 percent. The most exported waste category in the European Union is ferrous metal. Meanwhile, waste imports from non-EU countries to the European Union have remained mostly stable in the past decade, adding up to 39.8 million metric tons in 2023.
