2019 Recycling Industry Yearbook

ISRI.ORG 13 CHINA’S IMPACT ON GLOBAL RECYCLING From 2000 to 2017, China’s growth as a center of global manufacturing led it to become the destination for more than half of the world’s total scrap imports. In mid- 2017, China declared its intention to stop importing some scrap materials —most notably, mixed paper and postconsumer plastics—and to strictly limit contamination levels in any remaining scrap imports. In some cases, maximum contamination levels were set at 0.5%. China implemented these changes for several rea- sons. Its economic boom had led to a growing pollution problem, with improperly discarded materials including recyclables such as packaging, electronics, and vehicles. One goal of the ban was likely to boost its domestic scrap collection and recycling. The documentary “Plastics China” also had recently drawn attention to the harsh, unsanitary conditions of China’s small-scale plastics processing facilities. Chinese leaders blamed “foreign garbage” for such conditions and pledged to ban such materials. Further, smuggling, lax enforcement, and corruption at some Chinese ports had resulted in a small number of shipments entering the country that were classified as scrap but actually contained waste, including medical and hazardous wastes. 0 5,000,000 10,000,000 15,000,000 20,000,000 25,000,000 1994 -1998: 7 million tons 2004 -2008: 71 million tons 1999 -2003: 30 million tons 2014 -2018: 76 million tons 2009 -2013: 104 million tons Source: Census Bureau/U.S. International Trade Commission U.S. EXPORTS OF ALL SCRAP COMMODITIES TO CHINA (INCLUDING HONG KONG), 1994-2018 (metric tons)