China halts solid waste imports

China's decision in 2018 to stop importing plastic waste has caused chaos in the global recycling market.

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As of January 1, China will ban the importation of all solid waste into its territory.

The latter were still authorized after the phasing out of several other recyclable materials under an environmental policy plan introduced three years ago. 

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This is the epilogue of an environmental program launched in 2017. Its objective: to

from abroad, in particular plastics, auto parts, paper, etc. textiles or steel or wood scraps.

With its plan called " 

 ", China had over the months imposed restrictions, refusing certain types of waste among the least recyclable.

From January 1, the ban will therefore concern a final category: solid waste.

For nearly forty years, the Chinese giant has been importing waste to process it on its territory.

By closing its borders, China has caused

, but also an avalanche of waste to countries in Southeast Asia such as Malaysia, the Philippines or Indonesia, which refuse today in their turn to become the trash cans of the planet.

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► To read also: China no longer wants to be the trash of the world

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