HS Code 3915Waste, parings and scrap, of plastics

What HS code 3915 covers

Heading 3915 is for plastic waste. That includes parings, which are the trimmed-off edges and offcuts left when plastic goods are made. It also includes scrap, which is plastic that has been used and thrown away or collected for recycling.

Traders also write it as HSN code 3915 or HTS code 3915. The first four digits are the same in all of these systems.

The key point is the state of the goods. If the plastic is waste, parings or scrap, it belongs here. If it is a new raw polymer or a finished product, it belongs somewhere else in the chapter.

HS 3915 subheadings by plastic type

Each subheading is named after the kind of polymer in the scrap. Here is each code in plain words.

• 391510: polyethylene waste. This is scrap of ethylene polymers.
• 391520: polystyrene waste. This is scrap of styrene polymers.
• 391530: PVC scrap. This is scrap of vinyl chloride polymers.
• 391590: all other plastic scrap not named in the codes above.

How to choose the right 3915 code

If you are asking what the HS code is for plastic scrap, start with the polymer. Find out what the scrap is made of. Then match it to the closest of the three named codes.

Use 391590 only when the polymer is not ethylene, styrene or vinyl chloride. Its wording says plastics not elsewhere specified in heading 3915. Scrap such as PET or polypropylene is a typical example of what lands in this residual code.

Mixed scrap needs care. The exact customs wording is what counts, so check the description of each code before you file. If you are unsure, try the HS code classifier.

Plastic scrap vs primary-form polymers and plastic articles

A common mix-up is between scrap and new material. Heading 3901 covers polymers of ethylene in primary forms, such as new resin. Scrap of the same polymer goes to 391510 instead. The same split applies to styrene, where new polymer is in 3903, and to vinyl chloride, where new polymer is in 3904. Propylene polymers sit in 3902.

Finished goods are different again. Rods and profile shapes are in 3916. Packing articles and closures are in 3923. Other plastic articles not named elsewhere are in 3926.

So ask two questions. Is it new raw polymer, scrap, or a made article? Then, what is the polymer? The answers point to the right heading.

HS 3915 import and export data

Knowing the code is only half the job. Buyers and sellers of plastic scrap also want to know who trades it. EximDataX shows shipment-level import and export records from official customs sources.

Coverage: 43 direct customs feeds plus 184 mirror-derived countries. Named buyers and named suppliers are available in 38 of the 43 direct markets. Most markets refresh weekly and some refresh daily.

You can search by HS code to see who imports and exports a product, and book a free demo. Use the live records to look up the buyers and suppliers behind each plastic scrap code on this page.