
Li Ganjie, China’s minister of environmental protection
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.

Parties working to reopen an idled plastics recovery facility in Maryland are going back to the drawing board after a possible investor withdrew from talks.
The Home Depot will pay nearly $28 million in a California settlement involving disposal of household hazardous waste, electronics, batteries and intact customer information.
Struggles at facilities on both sides of the country demonstrate how local programs can be left in the lurch when nearby sorting capacity constricts.
Materials diversion was celebrated around the world on Sunday, when the first Global Recycling Day was observed with events in several cities and statements released online.
Mixed-paper has hit an all-time price low, with each ton trading for just $5. Downward pricing has also been seen with other fibers, but plastics have shown increasingly strong values lately.
An industry-funded ocean plastics prevention initiative has received support from a number of new partners, including brand owners, a chemicals giant and an intergovernmental group.