[scottlocklin]

No, he's quite right:

https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution

Most American and European plastic waste finds its way into landfills.

"In the chart below we see the global distribution of mismanaged plastic waste aggregated by world region. The East Asia and Pacific region dominates global mismanaged plastic waste, accounting for 60 percent of the world total.

There is a wide gap between East Asia and the other regions — South Asia ranks second but contributes around 5 times less with 11 percent of the total. This is followed by Sub-Saharan Africa (9 percent); Middle East & North Africa (8.3 percent); Latin America (7.2 percent); Europe and Central Asia (3.6 percent) and North America (1 percent).

If we aim to address the ocean plastic problem, an understanding of this global picture is important. It highlights the fundamental role of waste management in preventing ocean pollution; whilst countries across North America and Europe generate significant quantities of plastic waste (particularly on a per capita basis), well-managed waste streams mean that very little of this is at risk of ocean pollution. "

[NeedMoreTea]

Where does your recycling go? To nations with the fewest environmental controls. Where does it mostly come from? From the West. So much it breaks down their ability to cope meaning local waste now doesn't get recycled much any more either.

Now that Asia has mainly stopped accepting recycling - much of which is too contaminated before it gets out of the bale or container to recycle so gets illegally dumped or burned - even more goes to Africa instead. Except all countries that have had some part in recycling and try and stop or restrict it find they have a major problem of illegal imports and illegal processing - which is easier to stop than the containers. See for instance the Philippines vs Canada recently.

so the West is exporting what seems to inevitably become an illegal industry to every country stupid enough to join in.

If we just banned export and dumped it all in landfill again the world would be better off.

[Al-Khwarizmi]

However, the West sends plastic to Asia.

If a country sends plastic waste to Asia and then it's mismanaged there, what country gets the blame for mismanagement in those statistics?

[vanderZwan]

Thank you for taking the time to dig for sources and elaborate (although you basically did someone else's "homework" here).

[scottlocklin]

It's unfortunately not typically discussed. If you really want to solve the problem, being even more careful about plastics in the West really isn't going to move the needle. Knowing this is important.

[hunter2_]

Ironically, the extra care such as banning plastic bags, straws, etc. in the West does lead to this very conversation becoming normal across lay people rather than just those who "really want to solve the problem," which probably does have significant value as well. Like a raising-awareness event.

[balfirevic]

Homework was The Guardian's to do in the first place.