By Frank Brill, EnviroPolitics editor
In January of 2018, the government of China–the world’s largest market for recycled material–will implement an import ban on mixed paper, plastics, textiles and other materials that fail to meet rigorous quality standards.
For years, exporters from American and around the world have shipped bundles of plastic soda bottles, newspaper, textiles and other recyclable material to China for processing into new packaging and products.
What has become a growing problem for Chinese recycling plants is that many of the loads are contained with other material which must be removed before processing. This takes time, money and manpower. The Chinese issued warnings before but now are insisting that loads of plastic contain plastic only and the same for various types of paper and other recyclables. The leftovers from a picnic lunch thrown into the recycling container instead of the garbage can could conceivably send a 3,000 pound bundle of paper back to the U.S.
China’s new ‘National Sword’ policy is expected to cause serious disruptions that will be felt at the top–by shippers, brokers and others–all the way down the supply chain to local recycling programs, residents and businesses.
Attendees at the Association of New Jersey Recyclers (ANJR) Recycling Symposium on October 18 heard experts discuss the implications of China’s decision.
EnviroPolitics editor Frank Brill sat down with one of the presenters, Michael Arcieri of Eckman, for the interview above.
Related news: U.S. scrap industry frets over new China import policy
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