Prominent trends included increased trade within Western Europe and Eastern Europe, higher exports from Western Europe and Eastern Europe to other regions, reduced trade within the Asia-Pacific region, and reduced exports from North America.

Recyclable polyethylene is defined in the Harmonized System as waste, parings, and scrap of polymers of ethylene. This includes post-consumer and post-industrial material.

From 2020 to 2025, the majority of global trade volume could be accounted for by intra-regional trade within Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Asia-Pacific, and by exports to other regions from Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and North America.

Intra-regional trade in Western and Eastern Europe expanded over the period; intra-regional volume in Asia-Pacific (and also North America) dropped.

Western Europe shipped more recyclable polymer to other regions, mainly Eastern Europe and Asia-Pacific. Eastern Europe also increased its exports abroad, mainly to Western Europe and Asia-Pacific. In contrast, shipments from North America declined, a small increase to Latin America more than offset by lower volumes to Asia-Pacific.

From International Trader Publications Recyclable Polyethylene World Trade Analysis, a continuously updated analysis of trade base on the latest statistics from all available countries.