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 | 39,312,437 |
| Germany | 9,961,803 |
| Netherlands | 9,450,971 |
| Nigeria | 8,837,495 |
| China | 8,607,956 |
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 | 22,770,071 | 16,542,366 | -6,227,705 |
| Germany | 4,822,390 | 5,139,413 | +317,023 |
| Netherlands | 4,057,545 | 5,393,426 | +1,335,881 |
| Nigeria | 3,777,142 | 5,060,353 | +1,283,211 |
| China | 3,404,657 | 5,203,299 | +1,798,642 |
| Belgium | 3,519,347 | 2,970,107 | -549,240 |
| United Arab Emirates | 1,820,117 | 2,117,506 | +297,389 |
| Israel | 2,686,016 | 65,258 | -2,620,758 |
| France | 1,098,803 | 1,280,662 | +181,859 |
| Brazil | 667,860 | 361,900 | -305,960 |
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 | 38,733,943 |
| Nigeria | 11,124,892 |
| Germany | 10,640,343 |
| China | 8,677,582 |
| Netherlands | 7,954,974 |
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 | 22,460,923 | 16,273,020 | -6,187,903 |
| Nigeria | 4,633,819 | 6,491,073 | +1,857,254 |
| Germany | 5,119,026 | 5,521,317 | +402,291 |
| China | 3,503,230 | 5,174,352 | +1,671,122 |
| Netherlands | 3,730,846 | 4,224,128 | +493,282 |
| Belgium | 3,035,215 | 3,272,366 | +237,151 |
| France | 1,533,382 | 1,450,545 | -82,837 |
| Israel | 2,686,436 | 65,258 | -2,621,178 |
| United Arab Emirates | 854,033 | 742,865 | -111,168 |
| Brazil | 713,162 | 399,136 | -314,026 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester | 12 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 10 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 9 |
| Inner London - West | 8 |
| Cheshire | 7 |
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 | 8 | 10 | +2 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 8 | 6 | -2 |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | 5 | 6 | +1 |
| Inner London - West | 5 | 3 | -2 |
| Cheshire | 5 | 4 | -1 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 4 | 7 | +3 |
| Lancashire | 5 | 4 | -1 |
| West Yorkshire | 6 | 5 | -1 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 4 | 3 | -1 |
| Lincolnshire | 3 | 5 | +2 |
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) | 51,752,341 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 46,697,560 |
| Air transport | 1,271,561 |
| Other | 510,756 |
| 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) | 27,536,985 | 24,215,356 | -3,321,629 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 24,117,149 | 22,580,411 | -1,536,738 |
| Air transport | 858,382 | 413,179 | -445,203 |
| Other | 263,640 | 247,116 | -16,524 |
| 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 | 26,641,142 |
| London Gateway Port | 18,302,379 |
| Immingham Docks | 15,114,706 |
| Felixstowe | 9,659,188 |
| Liverpool Docks | 7,402,586 |
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 | 17,595,706 | 9,045,436 | -8,550,270 |
| London Gateway Port | 9,412,095 | 8,890,284 | -521,811 |
| Immingham Docks | 7,027,699 | 8,087,007 | +1,059,308 |
| Felixstowe | 4,359,065 | 5,300,123 | +941,058 |
| Liverpool Docks | 3,565,650 | 3,836,936 | +271,286 |
| Dover | 2,749,045 | 3,187,716 | +438,671 |
| Hull | 2,459,489 | 1,592,104 | -867,385 |
| Fishguard | 628,935 | 2,300,981 | +1,672,046 |
| Southampton | 1,017,159 | 1,081,770 | +64,611 |
| Eurotunnel | 711,085 | 951,447 | +240,362 |
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
|
37 |
|
Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles
|
31 |
|
Waste collection, treatment and disposal activities; materials recovery
|
26 |
|
Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products
|
12 |
|
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 |
|---|---|
| 2026-05 | 35 |
| 2026-04 | 36 |
| 2026-03 | 33 |
| 2026-02 | 37 |
| 2026-01 | 29 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| HODGE CLEMCO LIMITED | 110 |
| BRITISH POLYTHENE INDUSTRIES LIMITED | 73 |
| POLYRAM U.K. LIMITED | 60 |
| CARPENTER LIMITED | 53 |
| FORBO FLOORING UK LIMITED | 51 |
| INTERFLOOR LIMITED | 47 |
| LINPAC PACKAGING LIMITED | 43 |
| RECYCLE FOR FUTURE LTD | 43 |
| JSP LIMITED | 40 |
| WRC RECYCLING LIMITED | 36 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 55 |
| 54m+ | 50 |
| 15m-54m | 21 |
| 0-1m | 18 |
| Other | 12 |
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 | 58,315,787 |
| Turkey | 49,925,711 |
| Germany | 22,055,418 |
| Spain | 17,924,280 |
| Belgium | 17,478,759 |
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 | 30,296,356 | 28,019,431 | -2,276,925 |
| Turkey | 27,073,715 | 22,851,996 | -4,221,719 |
| Germany | 13,176,643 | 8,878,775 | -4,297,868 |
| Spain | 11,951,659 | 5,972,621 | -5,979,038 |
| Belgium | 9,058,012 | 8,420,747 | -637,265 |
| France | 10,259,117 | 6,725,822 | -3,533,295 |
| Italy | 9,561,299 | 7,278,591 | -2,282,708 |
| Malaysia | 6,360,916 | 5,123,937 | -1,236,979 |
| Portugal | 7,466,440 | 2,594,780 | -4,871,660 |
| Indonesia | 4,831,897 | 3,978,906 | -852,991 |
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 | 2,557,363 |
| 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 | 841,348 | 1,716,015 | +874,667 |
| Ireland | 35,716 | 0 | -35,716 |
| Germany | 2,075 | 0 | -2,075 |
Export volume by transport
What this shows: Export value by transport mode used to ship goods from the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 149,421,454 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 126,325,997 |
| Other | 2,595,154 |
| Air transport | 641,495 |
| Road transport | 5,414 |
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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 83,128,766 | 66,292,688 | -16,836,078 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 70,630,730 | 55,695,267 | -14,935,463 |
| Other | 879,139 | 1,716,015 | +836,876 |
| Air transport | 181,303 | 460,192 | +278,889 |
| Road transport | 5,414 | 0 | -5,414 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Immingham Docks | 55,251,113 |
| Felixstowe | 51,104,986 |
| London Gateway Port | 43,143,417 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 29,834,058 |
| London | 24,314,353 |
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 | 29,834,863 | 25,416,250 | -4,418,613 |
| Felixstowe | 25,574,096 | 25,530,890 | -43,206 |
| London Gateway Port | 21,842,652 | 21,300,765 | -541,887 |
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 16,810,091 | 13,023,967 | -3,786,124 |
| London | 13,756,322 | 10,558,031 | -3,198,291 |
| Southampton | 11,136,726 | 5,203,414 | -5,933,312 |
| Hull | 6,222,271 | 3,646,173 | -2,576,098 |
| Liverpool Docks | 4,980,171 | 2,855,726 | -2,124,445 |
| Harwich | 4,382,684 | 2,033,352 | -2,349,332 |
| Belfast Port | 3,780,047 | 2,468,602 | -1,311,445 |
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