China restricts imports of plastic trash

Abstract

A Chinese government policy aimed at curbing imports of postconsumer plastic waste went into effect Jan. 1, leaving recyclers in the U.S. and elsewhere without a market for much of their plastic waste and causing material to pile up. U.S. localities, particularly on the West Coast, have for many years shipped plastics collected in recycling programs to China. Low wages make China an ideal place for the labor-intensive sorting of plastic waste. According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. International Trade Commission, China imported 776,000 metric tons of reclaimed plastic and 13 million metric tons of recycled paper from the U.S. in 2016. The total value was $2.3 billion. China officially notified the World Trade Organization last summer that it would restrict the import of 24 types of waste. It explained that dirty and hazardous substances mixed with plastic and other waste pose a risk to health and