Heavy! Plastic Waste Changed From 'restricted' Imports To 'completely Banned'

After the recent adjustment of the Catalogue for the Administration of Imported Waste, the domestic system, which has been running smoothly for several decades, is facing a remodeling. The corresponding domestic 6-8 million tons of waste plastics industry in previous years will be completely rejected, and this system will also become a past tense.

On April 18, four ministries and commissions, including the Ministry of Ecology, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Commerce, jointly reviewed and announced the announcement regarding the adjustment of the Catalogue of Imported Waste Management. The main adjustments are as follows:

1. Transfer 16 types of solid waste, such as waste hardware, waste ships, pressed parts from waste autos, slag from smelting slag, and waste plastics from industrial sources, from the “Catalogue of Imported Solid Wastes that Can Be Used as Raw Materials” to “Imported Solid Waste” Catalogue, implemented from December 31, 2018.

2. Sixteen types of solid waste, such as stainless steel scrap, titanium scrap, wood scrap, etc., from the “Catalogue of Imported Solid Wastes that Can Be Used as Raw Materials”, “Unrestricted Imported Solid Wastes that Can Be Used as Raw Materials The Catalogue was transferred to the Catalogue of Prohibited Imports of Solid Waste, and will be implemented as of December 31, 2019.

Dialectically consider solid waste

From July 2017, China announced to the world that it will no longer accept 24 types of imported solid waste such as waste plastics, waste paper, waste slag, waste textiles, and abandoned slag. The ban took effect in January 2018. These foreign solid wastes, commonly referred to as “foreign garbage,” were formally rejected outside the country. Recently, the Ministry of Commerce has imposed another ban on China. Since the end of 2018, China will ban the import of 16 other scrap metal and chemical waste products. As the world’s largest importer of garbage, the trade of “foreign garbage” has begun to go on stage.

Usually, we commonly call "foreign rubbish" not traditionally "junk". Its scientific name is imported solid waste. In addition to the usual food wastes and used life supplies, we also have waste electrical and electronic equipment, medical equipment, industrial waste, and radioactive waste, all of which are within the scope of solid waste.

After China's reform and opening up, the manufacturing industry ushered in rapid development, and the demand for resources has also increased year by year. At the same time, the country also has the world's largest cheap labor reserves, and imports of foreign solid waste have become the choice of the times. It is undeniable that these solid wastes, which can be used as resources for recycling, can effectively supplement domestic deficiencies in resources such as plastics and papermaking.

Of course, the new plastics recovered from the waste plastics are less expensive than the raw materials that are directly synthesized from the petroleum extracts, and once they are used in large quantities, they can create huge profit margins. The economic benefits will lead to various profit-seeking behaviors. The foreign hazardous wastes of foreign wastes are imported in the name of ordinary waste plastics, and are sold through the re-cleaning granulation package.Some smuggled illegal wastes have flowed into China. After entering, transshipment, processing, and sales, a chain of profits has formed. Driven by high profits, it is easy to form a black chain, followed by counterfeit products and health risks.

Detailed process of banned waste

Due to incomplete sorting of imported solid waste, improper treatment of wastewater, waste gas, and noise in the processing process will cause irreversible damage to the environment. In addition, with the continuous development of the domestic economy, the establishment of an ecological system has become the target of current pursuit.

With the continuous reinforcement of high-level strong voices, the foreign garbage ban has advanced in depth and is intensifying. The "Implementation Plan for the Prohibition of the Entry of Foreign Garbage into China to Promote the Management of Solid Waste Imports" promulgated in July 2017 has triggered the first shot of this campaign.

The “Implementation Plan for Prohibiting Foreign Garbage Entry and Promoting Solid Waste Import Management System” implemented at the beginning of 2018 proposed 24 types of “foreign rubbish” that prohibits waste plastics, unsorted waste paper, waste textile raw materials, and vanadium. Imports will lead the battle to a commanding height.

This year’s government work report has strengthened the classification and disposal of solid wastes and garbage, and the entry of “foreign garbage” is strictly prohibited as a key task. At the same time, the General Administration of Customs focused on combating the smuggling of “foreign garbage” and deployed the Customs across the country to carry out the “Blue Sky 2018” special action. From March 29 to April 2, the General Administration of Customs organized a second round of special campaigns to focus on attacks.

China has always maintained the principle of combining several plugs for imported solid waste. The State has been strengthening regulations and management to prevent the influx of foreign waste. We will continue to strengthen supervision over the import, transportation and utilization of solid wastes to ensure the safety of the ecological environment.

Imported plastic waste has become a thing of the past

After the recent adjustment of the Catalogue for the Administration of Imported Waste, the domestic system, which has been running smoothly for several decades, is facing a remodeling. The corresponding domestic 6-8 million tons of waste plastics industry in previous years will be completely rejected, and this system will also become a past tense. This led to the question of how to rebuild the global and Chinese waste plastics system. The international resources, especially the new investment capacity, China's capital, technology, and equipment should all be connected in the industry chain.