NWRA Urges China to Reconsider Solid Waste Import Restrictions

Last week, the National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) filed comments with China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) regarding its draft law on the prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste. Article 29 of the draft law would restrict the importation of solid waste.

“NWRA supports high-quality standards for recyclable materials as well as policies necessary to achieve them,” said Darrell Smith, NWRA president and CEO, in a statement. “We believe that by using high-quality standards, China can ensure that its manufacturing sector has the raw materials needed to continue to produce goods while ensuring that its recycling industry remains viable into the future. With the improved quality already required, MEE has already achieved significant reductions in solid waste generation by limiting the amount entering the country. The material currently being shipped to China is not solid waste; rather it is a valuable feedstock for a manufacturing process. We urge the MEE to modify the standards in the proposed law.”

These comments are the most recent as NWRA continues to follow China’s efforts to restrict imports of recyclable materials.