{"id":1008,"date":"2017-12-29T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-12-29T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/master.k8s.p4.greenpeace.org\/eastasia\/aboutus\/1008\/chinas-ban-on-imports-of-24-types-of-waste-is-a-wake-up-call-to-the-world-greenpeace\/"},"modified":"2019-11-19T20:03:46","modified_gmt":"2019-11-20T04:03:46","slug":"chinas-ban-on-imports-of-24-types-of-waste-is-a-wake-up-call-to-the-world-greenpeace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eastasia\/press\/1008\/chinas-ban-on-imports-of-24-types-of-waste-is-a-wake-up-call-to-the-world-greenpeace\/","title":{"rendered":"China\u2019s ban on imports of 24 types of waste is a wake up call to the world – Greenpeace"},"content":{"rendered":"
Beijing, 29 December 2017 \u2013 China\u2019s upcoming ban on the import of 24 types of waste will send a wake up call to waste exporting countries and increase pressure to find more sustainable ways to dispose of and recycle waste, as well as tackle the issue at source by reducing the production of plastics and other disposable goods.<\/div>\n
Greenpeace East Asia plastics campaigner Liu Hua said:\u201cThis regulation will send shockwaves around the world, and force many countries to tackle the \u2018out of sight, out of mind\u2019 attitude we\u2019ve developed towards waste\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe world cannot continue with the current wasteful consumption model based on infinite growth in a finite world. Rather than find new places to export waste, governments and the private sector must find ways to simply reduce the amount of waste we are creating.\u201d<\/p>\n

The regulation was announced in July 2017 and bans 24 types of waste under four categories: certain types of mining slag, household waste plastics, unsorted waste paper and waste textiles.[1] It comes into force on 1 January 2018.<\/p>\n

Since the 1980s China has become the world\u2019s largest importer of waste. In 2012, up to 56% of global exported plastic waste ended up in China. Imported plastic waste alone reached a peak of almost 9 million tonnes in 2012.[2]<\/p>\n

The dependency of exporter countries on China\u2019s market is striking. An Unearthed investigation<\/a> published earlier this month has shown that the UK alone exports an average 65% of its plastic waste to China.[3] On Thursday, the Irish Times reported that more than 95% of Ireland\u2019s plastic waste was shipped to China last year.[4]<\/p>\n

According to the Unearthed investigation, anticipation of the ban this year has led to an uptick in British waste exports to other countries, such as Malaysia and Vietnam.[5]<\/p>\n

However, no other countries\u2019 waste industries have the same capacity as China\u2019s and the governments of waste exporting countries will ultimately be forced to face up to their waste problems on their own soil.<\/p>\n

China\u2019s ban on the imports of 24 types of waste should also serve to propel better waste disposal and recycling measures in both exporting countries and China itself. Ultimately, however, the world\u2019s waste crisis must be tackled at source.<\/p>\n

Greenpeace urges industries and corporations that manufacture and market plastics and other disposable products to take responsibility for their products through their entire life-cycle, take responsibility for the environmental costs and invest in transformative solutions and alternatives to put an end to the current unmanageable levels of waste produced every year.<\/p>\n

Notes to Editor:<\/strong><\/p>\n

[1] \u300a\u56fd\u52a1\u9662\u529e\u516c\u5385\u5173\u4e8e\u5370\u53d1\u7981\u6b62\u6d0b\u5783\u573e\u5165\u5883\u63a8\u8fdb\u56fa\u4f53\u5e9f\u7269\u8fdb\u53e3\u7ba1\u7406\u5236\u5ea6\u6539\u9769\u5b9e\u65bd\u65b9\u6848\u7684\u901a\u77e5\u300bhttp:\/\/www.gov.cn\/zhengce\/content\/2017-07\/27\/content_5213738.htm<\/a>
\n[2] Global Recycling Markets: Plastic Waste, International Solid Waste Association, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-eastasia-stateless\/2019\/11\/27d1dd21-27d1dd21-tfgwm_report_grm_plastic_china_lr.pdf<\/a> ; UN Comtrade Database, https:\/\/comtrade.un.org\/<\/a>
\n[3] https:\/\/unearthed.greenpeace.org\/2017\/12\/07\/china-plastic-scrap-ban-crisis-uk-recycling\/<\/a>
\n[4] https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/news\/environment\/china-not-to-bin-our-rubbish-anymore-so-what-next-1.3339124<\/a>
\n[5] https:\/\/unearthed.greenpeace.org\/2017\/12\/07\/china-plastic-scrap-ban-crisis-uk-recycling\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Media contacts:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Anna McGurk, Communications Officer, anna.mcgurk@greenpeace.org<\/a>