Sourcing HDPE plastic scrap from China

HDPE scrap duty and waste controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 14 November 2026, heading 3915 covers waste, parings and scrap of plastics. HDPE scrap with specific gravity of 0.94 or more falls under 3915 10 20 00. The table shows different material forms sharing that tariff line. Its China duty is 0%, with no recorded anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty or suspension.

The tariff attaches import and export waste controls. Confirm with the regulator whether the scrap qualifies for lighter controls or needs prior notification and consent, taking account of its composition, contamination and intended recycling process. For imports into England under notification controls, the Chinese exporter must apply to the competent authority in the country of dispatch for consent. Confirm the applicable procedure with your customs broker, receiving recycler and regulator before shipping.

Confirm the commodity code using polymer identity, specific gravity, material form and waste status. Recycled pellets that are no longer waste fall under primary plastics rather than this scrap heading. See the wider plastic scrap guide for other polymers.

Specify the HDPE feedstock

State whether the feedstock is production offcuts, used bottles, regrind or lumps. Identify its source, colour and intended recycling process. Agree limits for other polymers, labels, metal, paper, dirt and moisture, together with particle size, melt flow range and the sampling method.

Ask for a representative sample from the actual stock, including material from inside bales or bags. Keep an agreed reference sample and record how the supplier separates grades and stores material. Use factory verification to assess those operations.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order only: 20 tonnes of sorted HDPE production offcuts under 3915 10 20 00, invoiced at £9,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £11,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £11,000, so it is £2,200. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity: check sampled material is HDPE, using polymer identification and density testing where appropriate; compare colour and form with the agreed sample.

Contamination: open sampled bales and bags; inspect their centres for other plastics, labels, metal, dirt and container residues.

Processing: test moisture and melt flow against the agreed specification; look for odours, uneven particle size and unexpected colour variation.

Documents: compare the waste description, source, shipment documents and receiving facility details with the actual load; record bag or bale identification.

What goes wrong

An outside sample can hide mixed material inside a bale. Bottle caps, labels and residues can undermine a nominally HDPE load, while moisture distorts the usable yield. Mixed colours or inconsistent melt flow can make the material unsuitable for the buyer's process.

Waste paperwork can also describe a cleaner or different load than the shipment contains. Agree acceptance criteria, representative sampling and responsibility for rejected material before ordering. Use quality inspection before loading and compare arrival samples with retained samples.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.