Waste Management’s latest sustainability report delves into factors impacting the recycling industry as a whole, including fluctuating markets, sustainable materials management, technological advances and more.
Waste Management’s latest sustainability report delves into factors impacting the recycling industry as a whole, including fluctuating markets, sustainable materials management, technological advances and more.
In its first release of import permits for 2019, China’s environmental ministry approved a larger volume of recovered fiber than in any single release last year.
Southeast Asian countries are moving to constrain imports of recyclables, but some exporters are mislabeling scrap plastic shipments to get around the restrictions.
Governments across Southeast Asia continue to restrict recovered material imports. In the latest developments, Taiwan added plastic and paper restrictions, Vietnam rolled out new guidelines and Malaysia considered importing from certain countries only.
Even as exporters move off of China as a destination for certain recyclables, the country remains a crucial market. And several recent Chinese developments carry industry-wide implications.
Malaysia has laid out new criteria for scrap shipments as the country plans for a reduction in imports over time.
China has ramped up its purchases of U.S. OCC in recent months, according to the latest trade data. Meanwhile, Southeast Asian restrictions continue to stifle scrap plastic movement.
Another major importer of recyclables in Asia is drafting policy to reshape its relationship to materials recovery. But this time, the move could actually be a boon to exporters.
China is proposing tariffs on U.S. pulp made from recycled paper, a material that has received recent attention as a potential export to China to replace recovered paper bales.