U.S. recycling leaders who are closely tied to export markets say China’s proposed prohibition on recovered plastic and paper imports could drive changes all the way back to the curb.
U.S. recycling leaders who are closely tied to export markets say China’s proposed prohibition on recovered plastic and paper imports could drive changes all the way back to the curb.
China’s three-month-old import action has stalled shipments of some recovered materials from the U.S. and led to substantial import fee increases for shipments that do clear customs.
China may be gearing up to further crack down on waste materials coming into the country, which could impact scrap imports.
Chinese customs authorities are inspecting every container entering the country at certain ports, causing longer shipping times. And some observers say the enforcement efforts could also be driving down recovered paper prices.
The value of curbside-collected paper and steel is down slightly at the start of April, though some plastics have experienced boosts.
China’s recent crackdown on scrap material imports has exposed smuggling operations, led to dozens of arrests and resulted in the confiscation of more than 22,000 tons of material.
A campaign aimed at curbing criminal activity could cause headaches for those legally sending recyclable materials across the Pacific Ocean.
Paper industry experts are saying recent statistics indicate China’s paperboard and paper producers are playing a lesser role in the global fiber recycling market.
Several workers were killed in an accident at a U.K. metals recycling operation, and Hong Kong beachgoers can’t find the sand through the trash.
This story originally appeared in the March 2016 issue of Resource Recycling.
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