China’s State Council released lately The Opinions on Strengthening Ecological Environment Protection and Fighting against Pollution, which focuses on pollution control of solid waste. According to it, China plans to completely ban imports of foreign waste, strictly combat smuggling and drastically reduce sorts and quantities of imported solid waste in order to realize zero importation of solid waste by the end of 2020.
Moreover, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment also drafted Solid Waste Pollution Prevention Act of People’s Republic of China(Amendment). In the Act, the newly added item 29, requiring to ban foreign waste imports, has underwent public reviews and will probably have a significant impact on raw material supply of China paper industry.
The ban will also have an immediate economic impact on wastepaper exporters. “It will drive down the price of mixed paper through the floor,” said Nick Halper, director of export at the Paper Tigers.
Source：China Pulp & Paper Industry Publishing House
