China’s Waste Ban and its Implications for the International Community

Background on the Issue

As China took the lead in manufacturing, the reliance on raw materials opened the door to a new business: the waste trade. For many years, the system made sense; China exported inexpensive consumer goods to places like Europe, USA, and Japan.

Shipping containers from these nations made their way back into China filled with recyclables. Chinese manufacturers could turn these imports into raw materials while exporting countries received credit for “recycling”.

Unfortunately, the waste was often in such bad conditions that the costs of sorting out the materials and putting them back into the economy outweighed the benefits of such trade. After years of attempting to remedy this problem, in January, China announced it would ban 24 waste materials.

This ban has “disrupted” the international community to the extent that nations like the USA have publically asked China to reconsider such a drastic measure.

Green Initiatives’ 108th Green Drinks Forum in Collaboration with Collective Responsibility

Given the importance of this topic, and following the policy changes around informal vs. formal waste management systems, we have partnered with Green Initiatives to discuss these topics at the Green Drinks Forum: China’s Waste Ban – Boon or Bane?

Taking place on Tuesday, April 24th, this forum will look at the implications of China’s waste ban on the international community. Participants will have the opportunity to gain a better understanding on the opportunities, challenges, and innovations derived from China’s decision to stop waste imports of 24 different kinds of solid waste.

For registration and inquires about the event please contact Green Initiatives directly.

For more articles on this topic, check out our recent posts on the topic (below), and don’t forget to follow Collective Responsibility on social media to receive updates on our latest articles, reports, and events.

http://www.coresponsibility.com/impact-chinas-waste-ban-global/

http://www.coresponsibility.com/ewaste-informal-system-better/

http://www.coresponsibility.com/informal-waste-transition/

http://www.coresponsibility.com/recycled-waste-in-shanghai-where-it-goes/

http://www.coresponsibility.com/chinas-plastic-waste-epidemic/

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