Plastics disposal

3.8 Plastics disposal

1Once plastic waste is collected, it is typically directed to treatment facilities for recovery of materials or energy, with the remainder that cannot be treated being sent to disposal facilities such as landfills or dumpsites. In some instances, particularly in regions with limited infrastructure, the entire collected amount or a large volume of the collected waste may be directed straight to disposal without any treatment. Note: The disposal methods described in Section 3.8 apply to all waste types. Users should therefore also collect data on the proportion of plastics within each disposal stream in order to derive plastics-specific estimates for each disposal method.

3.8.1 Definitions and Scope

1Plastics disposal: the final management of plastic waste that is not reused, recycled or recovered for energy – mainly landfilling, disposal at open dumpsites, and incineration without energy recovery. Disposal data records how much plastic waste ends up in each of these routes, usually in tonnes over a reporting period. Disposal facilities handle mixed waste rather than plastic alone, and the plastic share of what is disposed must therefore usually be estimated (see 5.7.5). Scope should also include open or informal burning of plastic – for example, household backyard burning and burning at dumpsites – which is common in some countries, is a source of greenhouse gas and air-pollutant emissions and is hard to measure. Incineration without energy: Incineration without energy recovery refers to the controlled combustion of waste in dedicated facilities where the heat generated is not captured or utilised. This process reduces waste volume by up to 90% and generates ash, flue gas, and heat, but differs from waste-to-energy processes in that the thermal energy is released to the environment without any recovery systems.

2Landfill: Landfill disposal involves the engineered deposit of waste in specifically designed facilities where waste is systematically buried. Sanitary landfills incorporate multiple protective components including base liners (clay or synthetic), leachate collection and treatment systems, gas management infrastructure, daily/ intermediate/final cover materials, and surface water management controls. Open dumpsites: Open dumpsites are uncontrolled waste disposal sites where plastic and other waste materials are deposited without engineered containment systems or environmental protections. These sites lack proper management systems such as leachate collection, gas control, or systematic covering of waste.

3.8.2 Why disposal data matters

1Disposal data shows how much plastic waste is not recovered and instead ends up in landfills, at open dumpsites, or is burned without energy recovery. A high share of disposal points to gaps in collection and recycling, and to the risk of environmental leakage and emissions. Disposal data supports several uses: completing the picture of where plastic waste ends up; measuring how much is landfilled, dumped or burned; supporting greenhouse-gas reporting under IPCC guidance and Biennial Transparency Reports; and reporting against SDG indicators and the global plastics instrument now being negotiated.

3.8.3 Methods for generating disposal data

1Disposal data is collected by disposal type. The parts below set out the main methods and tools for incineration without energy recovery, landfill, and open dumpsites. Within each part, the tools are grouped by who is most likely to lead or supply the data.

• 2

  Government and waste-management companies: facility and operational data – weighbridge and gate records, waste-arrival records, visual estimates, and satellite monitoring used by the authorities and companies that run disposal sites.

• 3

  Research and monitoring: analytical and monitoring methods such as material flow analysis and satellite imagery.

3.8.4 Incineration without Energy Recovery

1Similar to waste to energy data collection, incineration without energy requires data collection from the facility to use as the primary data source. Facilities should record tonnage data of plastic waste incinerated to track the volume of materials managed through its pathway.

2Table 3.9. Tools for Generating Data for plastics disposal (Incineration without Energy Recovery)

Method	Description	Advantages	Limitations
Weighbridge data. Examples: EU Industrial Emissions Portal / E-PRTR; IPCC 2019 Waste Guidelines (incineration and open burning).	Weighing incoming loads and requiring declaration of estimated plastic content.	Captures 100% of incoming waste; continuous data collection; simple implementation using existing infrastructure; can be categorised by source.	Relies on estimates or declarations; limited verification of actual content; general waste classifications only; accuracy varies by source.
Visual estimation	Standardised procedure for visually estimating plastic percentage in loads.	Quick assessment of each load; no specialised equipment needed; can identify major shifts in composition; applicable to all facilities.	Subjective assessment method; limited to visible surface materials; variable accuracy between inspectors; qualitative rather than precisely quantitative.

3.8.5 Disposal in Landfill

1To collect data on plastic waste disposed in landfills, facilities should maintain weighbridge records with waste categorisation data to quantify the amount incoming that is plastic and track trends over time. Regular waste characterisation studies should be conducted to determine the percentage, types, and sources of plastic materials within the general waste stream, with sampling methodologies designed to account for seasonal and operational variations.

2Table 3.10. Tools for Generating Data for plastics disposal (landfill)

Method	Description	Advantages	Limitations
Government / waste-management companies — Weighbridge records	Weighing all incoming loads with waste type classification that includes estimated plastic content. Could be implemented at landfill sites or transfer stations.	Captures 100% of incoming waste; continuous data collection; uses existing infrastructure.	Relies on general waste classifications; limited plastic-specific information; no verification of actual plastic content; classification accuracy varies by source.
Government / waste-management companies — Truck load estimates	Random selection of incoming trucks for detailed waste analysis before landfilling.	Direct inspection of actual loads; can identify major shifts in composition; opportunity for hauler education; more frequent than full waste audits.	Limited number of loads can be inspected; disrupts normal operations; staff availability constraints; may trigger hauler behaviour changes.
Government / waste-management companies — Visual estimation protocol	Standardised procedure for visually estimating plastic percentage in each load.	Quick assessment method; applicable to all incoming loads; minimal equipment needed; can identify major composition changes.	Subjective assessment method; limited to visible surface materials; operator training affects quality; less accurate than physical sorting.
Research and monitoring — Material flow analysis. Examples: OECD Global Plastics Outlook; Olatayo et al. (2024), South Africa.	See Part IV, Material Flow Analysis, for detailed guidance.	—	—

3.8.6 Open Dumpsites Managed by Authorities and Waste Management Companies

1In regions with limited waste management infrastructure, collected plastic waste is often disposed in open dumpsites managed by local authorities or private waste management companies in the absence of proper treatment facilities. These sites lack engineered containment systems, with waste frequently subjected to controlled burning to reduce volumes, while spontaneous combustion can also occur due to methane

2generation and heat accumulation within the waste mass. Data collection at these sites is crucial as burning plastic waste contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants, which must be captured and reported under IPCC guidelines and included in Biennial Transparency Reports (BTR) for national climate accounting.

3Table 3.11. Tools for Generating Data for plastics disposal (open dumpsites)

Method	Description	Advantages	Limitations
Government / waste-management companies — Visual surveys and mapping	Regular site visits using standardised protocols to document dumpsite area and visible plastic distribution.	Minimal equipment required; direct observation of site conditions; can document burning activities.	Subjective assessment; safety risks for personnel; limited to accessible areas.
Government / waste-management companies — Waste arrival records	Basic tracking of incoming waste trucks with simplified classification of load types and estimated volumes.	Low technology requirement; continuous data collection; implementation with minimal training.	Often lacks weighing infrastructure; estimated volumes are less accurate; limited plastic-specific data.
Research and monitoring — Satellite imagery analysis. Examples: Global Plastic Watch (Minderoo); UN Satellite Centre (UNOSAT); Kruse et al. (2023), satellite monitoring of terrestrial plastic waste.	Periodic review of freely available satellite images to track dumpsite expansion, visible burning and major compositional features, with ground truthing.	Cost-effective remote monitoring; covers the entire site area.	Resolution limitations; cloud cover interference; limited compositional detail; requires technical skills.

3.8.7 Disaggregating disposal data

1As with the other stages, disposal data is most useful when broken down. Wherever the source data allows, it should be disaggregated along the following dimensions:

• 2

  Disposal route: landfill (sanitary or controlled), open dumpsite, and incineration without energy recovery, plus open or informal burning where it occurs.

• 3

  Plastic share: the estimated proportion of plastic within each mixed-waste disposal stream, so that plastic-specific figures can be derived.

• 4

  Managed versus unmanaged: waste going to engineered, managed sites versus dumpsites and uncontrolled disposal, which matters for leakage and emissions estimates.

• 5

  Polymer type, location and operator, where sampling and records allow.

6Further detail on these categories is provided in the Disaggregating Data section.

3.8.8 Data challenges and a tiered approach to getting started

1Disposal data carries several challenges. Disposal sites receive mixed waste, and the plastic share must therefore be estimated from waste-characterisation studies rather than measured directly. Open dumpsites and informal burning are common in many countries but are poorly recorded, and burning plastic produces greenhouse-gas and air-pollutant emissions that need to be estimated using IPCC methods. Weighbridge and visual estimates are approximate, and small or remote sites are often missed. Sources should be combined and clearly documented.

2A practical way to begin is to match the method to current data capacity and strengthen it over time:

• 3

  Basic: estimate disposal shares from national waste statistics and weighbridge or gate records, applying a plastic fraction from a waste-characterisation study or a regional default.

• 4

  Intermediate: add waste-characterisation sampling at the main disposal sites, gate and permit records, and satellite imagery to locate and size dumpsites.

• 5

  Advanced: reconcile all sources in a material flow analysis that links collection, treatment and disposal, disaggregated by route and by managed versus unmanaged disposal, with emissions from burning estimated using IPCC methods.

6Countries can move up the tiers as capacity grows; at every stage the priority is a transparent, repeatable method and a clear statement of how the plastic share of disposed waste was estimated.

3.8.9 Further materials

• 1

  Eurostat Waste Statistics - the EU’s waste statistics database, covering generation, treatment and management data for member states, including circular-economy Sankey flows.

• 2

  Basel Convention plastic-waste reporting - the annual national reporting system for transboundary movements of hazardous and plastic wastes, including exports, imports and disposal methods.

• 3

  UNEP Global Partnership on Plastic Pollution and Marine Litter (GPML) Digital Platform - country dashboards with plastic-flow data, policy tracking and consolidated global datasets.

• 4

  World Bank What a Waste 3.0 - a global waste database covering 217 countries, with generation, collection and treatment data and projections to 2050