Import/export HS code 3915: Plastic waste and scraps
Leftover or discarded plastic materials, including trimmings and scraps, ready for recycling
Why this is important if you are looking for potential customers in the UK:
- It helps you understand the market size for your product in the UK.
- It provides you with a list of potential leads who have bought similar products.
* UK only, last 24 months analysed
Imports by country
What this shows: Import market volume by exporter country into the UK.
Top 5 values
| Country | £ |
|---|---|
| Ireland | 38,536,495 |
| Netherlands | 10,564,169 |
| Germany | 9,117,100 |
| China | 7,128,112 |
| Nigeria | 7,125,979 |
Countries rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Countries are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month volume, right side by second 12-month volume, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Country | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 19,572,963 | 18,963,532 | -609,431 |
| Netherlands | 6,438,136 | 4,126,033 | -2,312,103 |
| Germany | 4,745,946 | 4,371,154 | -374,792 |
| China | 1,985,262 | 5,142,850 | +3,157,588 |
| Nigeria | 3,596,143 | 3,529,836 | -66,307 |
| Belgium | 3,753,384 | 3,233,862 | -519,522 |
| Israel | 3,681,224 | 357,254 | -3,323,970 |
| United Arab Emirates | 396,776 | 3,225,126 | +2,828,350 |
| France | 1,128,513 | 1,073,382 | -55,131 |
| United States | 560,040 | 280,632 | -279,408 |
Imports by country of origin
What this shows: Import volume by production origin country. Differences from exporter-country data can indicate re-export routes.
Top 5 values
| Origin | £ |
|---|---|
| Ireland | 38,037,621 |
| Germany | 9,800,259 |
| Netherlands | 9,254,462 |
| Nigeria | 9,151,903 |
| China | 7,341,279 |
Country of origin rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Origin countries are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month import value, right side by second 12-month import value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Origin | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 19,491,327 | 18,546,294 | -945,033 |
| Germany | 5,243,557 | 4,556,702 | -686,855 |
| Netherlands | 5,918,532 | 3,335,930 | -2,582,602 |
| Nigeria | 3,596,143 | 5,555,760 | +1,959,617 |
| China | 2,103,537 | 5,237,742 | +3,134,205 |
| Belgium | 3,239,593 | 3,292,061 | +52,468 |
| Israel | 3,644,968 | 357,254 | -3,287,714 |
| France | 1,498,105 | 1,406,079 | -92,026 |
| United Arab Emirates | 471,709 | 1,069,684 | +597,975 |
| United States | 572,698 | 391,969 | -180,729 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester | 14 |
| Inner London - West | 10 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 10 |
| West Yorkshire | 9 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 8 |
UK regions rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: UK regions are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month importer count, right side by second 12-month importer count, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| UK region | First 12m | Second 12m | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Manchester | 10 | 7 | -3 |
| Inner London - West | 4 | 6 | +2 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 8 | 7 | -1 |
| West Yorkshire | 8 | 5 | -3 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 4 | 8 | +4 |
| Cheshire | 4 | 7 | +3 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 5 | 6 | +1 |
| Lancashire | 3 | 6 | +3 |
| Northern Ireland | 6 | 4 | -2 |
| Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | 5 | 2 | -3 |
Import volume by transport
What this shows: Import value by transport mode used to bring goods into the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 49,967,895 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 46,304,598 |
| Air transport | 1,311,871 |
| Other | 445,877 |
| Road transport | 13,277 |
Transport rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Transport modes are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month import value, right side by second 12-month import value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Transport | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 25,316,172 | 24,651,723 | -664,449 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 24,002,742 | 22,301,856 | -1,700,886 |
| Air transport | 661,084 | 650,787 | -10,297 |
| Other | 63,070 | 382,807 | +319,737 |
| Road transport | 10,029 | 3,248 | -6,781 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Heysham | 27,007,845 |
| London Gateway Port | 16,848,283 |
| Immingham Docks | 14,920,701 |
| Felixstowe | 9,213,898 |
| Liverpool Docks | 8,174,078 |
Port rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Ports are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month import value, right side by second 12-month import value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Port | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heysham | 13,113,743 | 13,894,102 | +780,359 |
| London Gateway Port | 8,051,175 | 8,797,108 | +745,933 |
| Immingham Docks | 7,734,191 | 7,186,510 | -547,681 |
| Felixstowe | 4,564,199 | 4,649,699 | +85,500 |
| Liverpool Docks | 4,883,119 | 3,290,959 | -1,592,160 |
| Dover | 2,475,041 | 3,258,627 | +783,586 |
| Hull | 3,031,764 | 1,483,368 | -1,548,396 |
| Southampton | 426,556 | 1,272,590 | +846,034 |
| Holyhead | 1,121,354 | 577,186 | -544,168 |
| Eurotunnel | 890,676 | 794,528 | -96,148 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
| Manufacture of rubber and plastic products | 38 |
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 34 |
| Waste collection, treatment and disposal activities; materials recovery | 29 |
| Remediation activities and other waste management services. | 10 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 10 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 29 |
| 2025-11 | 48 |
| 2025-10 | 45 |
| 2025-09 | 41 |
| 2025-08 | 38 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| HODGE CLEMCO LIMITED | 106 |
| BRITISH POLYTHENE INDUSTRIES LIMITED | 68 |
| POLYRAM U.K. LIMITED | 55 |
| CARPENTER LIMITED | 48 |
| FORBO FLOORING UK LIMITED | 47 |
| INTERFLOOR LIMITED | 42 |
| LINPAC PACKAGING LIMITED | 39 |
| RECYCLE FOR FUTURE LTD | 39 |
| JSP LIMITED | 37 |
| WRC RECYCLING LIMITED | 31 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 62 |
| 54m+ | 48 |
| 15m-54m | 21 |
| 0-1m | 17 |
| Other | 13 |
Import seasonality
What this shows: Average monthly import pattern from historical data.
Exports by country
What this shows: Export market volume by destination country from the UK.
Top 5 values
| Country | £ |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | 59,277,107 |
| Turkey | 56,152,444 |
| Germany | 25,782,331 |
| Spain | 21,072,563 |
| Italy | 18,973,829 |
Export countries rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Destination countries are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month export volume, right side by second 12-month export volume, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Country | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 28,754,433 | 30,522,674 | +1,768,241 |
| Turkey | 35,091,538 | 21,060,906 | -14,030,632 |
| Germany | 15,155,948 | 10,626,383 | -4,529,565 |
| Spain | 11,965,463 | 9,107,100 | -2,858,363 |
| Italy | 11,480,509 | 7,493,320 | -3,987,189 |
| Belgium | 9,369,484 | 8,614,206 | -755,278 |
| France | 8,320,232 | 8,864,350 | +544,118 |
| Malaysia | 7,227,439 | 6,693,908 | -533,531 |
| Portugal | 6,027,621 | 4,912,500 | -1,115,121 |
| Indonesia | 1,301,334 | 6,366,530 | +5,065,196 |
Exports by country of origin
What this shows: Export volume by production origin country. For re-exports, indicates where goods originated before UK export.
Top 5 values
| Origin | £ |
|---|---|
| XI | 2,025,978 |
| Ireland | 35,716 |
| Germany | 2,075 |
Export origin countries rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Origin countries are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month export value, right side by second 12-month export value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Origin | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| XI | 769,687 | 1,256,291 | +486,604 |
| Ireland | 35,716 | 0 | -35,716 |
| Germany | 427 | 1,648 | +1,221 |
Export volume by transport
What this shows: Export value by transport mode used to ship goods from the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 151,819,649 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 140,301,252 |
| Other | 2,063,779 |
| Air transport | 599,873 |
| Road transport | 13,427 |
Export transport rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Transport modes are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month export value, right side by second 12-month export value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Transport | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 90,606,242 | 61,213,407 | -29,392,835 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 64,853,444 | 75,447,808 | +10,594,364 |
| Other | 805,840 | 1,257,939 | +452,099 |
| Air transport | 214,328 | 385,545 | +171,217 |
| Road transport | 13,427 | 0 | -13,427 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 56,744,862 |
| Felixstowe | 50,910,980 |
| London Gateway Port | 43,723,993 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 31,163,663 |
| London | 26,598,521 |
Export port rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Ports are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month export value, right side by second 12-month export value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Port | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 28,404,117 | 28,340,745 | -63,372 |
| Felixstowe | 28,004,758 | 22,906,222 | -5,098,536 |
| London Gateway Port | 21,066,826 | 22,657,167 | +1,590,341 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 16,291,086 | 14,872,577 | -1,418,509 |
| London | 13,965,987 | 12,632,534 | -1,333,453 |
| Southampton | 11,471,032 | 8,846,635 | -2,624,397 |
| Hull | 7,372,631 | 3,712,854 | -3,659,777 |
| Liverpool Docks | 5,128,197 | 3,695,019 | -1,433,178 |
| Harwich | 5,645,007 | 2,825,891 | -2,819,116 |
| Belfast Port | 3,314,493 | 3,223,352 | -91,141 |
Related HS codes
What this shows: Sibling or child HS codes in the same classification branch.
Quick facts
HS code: 3915
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Leftover or discarded plastic materials, including trimmings and scraps, ready for recycling