China's waste import ban: challenge and opportunity

BEIJING, Jan. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by China.org.cn on China's waste import ban:

On Jan. 1, China's ban on importing 24 types of solid waste, including plastics, unsorted mixed paper, textile materials and vanadium slag, went into effect. The ban will leave a profound influence on China and waste-exporting countries.

China has been one of the world's largest waste importers for decades. With the rapid economic growth in the 1980s and 1990s, the country developed a strong demand for raw materials. It thus decided to import foreign waste, hoping to extract useful resources from it to meet the demand. However, it caused another problem. Waste was sorted out by hand inefficiently. Things considered useless were simply burnt without any treatment, causing severe damage to the environment. And the smuggling of waste also became a headache for the government.

Without a good environment, seeking growth is simply out of the question. In recent years, China attempted to solve some of the problems created by its relaxed regulations and supervision. In 2013, Chinese Customs launched a "Green Fence" campaign to stop the import of waste failing to meet certain standards. In July 2017, China notified the World Trade Organization of its intent to stop importing solid waste, and announced a timeline in compliance with WTO transparency requirements.

However, when the ban came into effect, it still threw some countries into chaos. The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries based in the U.S. described the impact as "devastating," with huge mountains of waste piling up in some places. Admittedly, the ban will hit some industries and companies in China and abroad, but it is a necessity for China's economic restructuring and development. In addition, China's move will motivate other countries to upgrade their recycling equipment and technology. No country wants to be the "world's garbage dump" forever. Everyone should enjoy an equal right to a pleasant environment.

It is imperative for China and other countries to improve domestic and local waste disposal capacity. By contrast, northern European countries are even worried about the insufficiency of the garbage supply, as they are able to convert waste into energy efficiently with the most advanced technology. From packaging design to waste recycling, each link on the industrial chain has its own role to play. From governments to citizens, every party should contribute. To some extent, the "shutdown" of "the world's largest garbage disposal site" has opened up new opportunities. China is ready to work with other countries to seize these opportunities and meet new challenges.

China Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm

China's waste import ban: challenge and opportunity
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2018-01/18/content_50240620.htm

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SOURCE China.org.cn