So far this year China has approved 3.5 million short tons of recovered fiber for import. | luca pbl/Shutterstock
China recently issued its third round of recovered fiber import permits for 2020, and the volume being allowed in this round is far less than what was approved previously.
U.S. recovered fiber exports fell by roughly 3 million tons from 2018 to 2019. | StockStudio Aerials/Shutterstock
In 2019, recovered fiber exports from the United States experienced their largest year-over-year decline on record. U.S. scrap plastic exports also continued a substantial fall.
This story originally appeared in the January 2016 issue of Resource Recycling.
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One publication examines what a “Brexit” could mean for waste diversion efforts in the U.K., and Unifi expands global distributions of its recycled-content fiber.
The value of curbside-collected paper and steel is down slightly at the start of April, though some plastics have experienced boosts.
OCC and other recovered fiber grades are allowed in to China but with strict contamination thresholds. | noomcpk/Shutterstock
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A global recycling trade group says China has rekindled its scrutiny of imported plastics.