Loading ...China’s scrap ban roils U.S. recycling markets, and that could be a good thing
WASHINGTON —
Remember when American consumers griped about the quality of Chinese goods? Now it’s China’s turn. Beijing is fed up with the quality of a key U.S. export — scrap paper and plastics — and it is flexing its market muscle to do something about it.
By the start of next year, China is expected to ban imports of 24 types of recycled materials, including mixed paper and various plastics. Beijing notified the World Trade Organization about the ban in July, an announcement that has shaken up world recycling markets and triggered fears of leftover scrap being dumped in U.S. landfills.
But there may be an upside to the import ban, which Beijing has dubbed “China National Sword 2017.” It could prompt U.S. consumers to be more careful about what they discard in recycling bins, reducing the “contamination” that is triggering China’s ire. It also could benefit some U.S. companies by providing them with a new, low-cost supply of scrap paper, which can be used domestically to make cardboard and other products.
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