China plans to prohibit imports of post-industrial scrap plastic by the end of the year, according to documents published by the country’s environmental department.
China plans to prohibit imports of post-industrial scrap plastic by the end of the year, according to documents published by the country’s environmental department.
Mathy Stanislaus, who served under President Obama, says current U.S. EPA leaders aren’t fully valuing materials recovery and are harming the industry by putting a singular focus on deregulation.
Trade tensions between the U.S. and China have come closer to directly impacting the plastics recycling industry.
Prices continue to climb for PET and HDPE containers collected at the curb, but the news wasn’t so good for mixed plastics, which have a negative value in many regions.
China’s top environmental official has quantified the reduction in scrap materials flowing into the country as a result of recent restrictions. He also spoke publicly about the market fallout and the criticism China has received for enacting its reforms.
Last year presented an upheaval in the global recovered plastics market, and the impacts continue to roll in. Three experts recently shared their thoughts on the specific causes of the volatility.