NWRA Urges Vice President Pence to Take Action on China’s Waste Import Ban

The National Waste & Recycling Association sent a letter to Mike Pence, the vice president of the United States, urging the federal government to take action against China’s restrictions on recyclables. The letter explains the consequences of China’s restrictions on the waste and recycling industry and asks that the issue be raised with the Chinese government as part of talks with U.S. trade officials.

“China has banned some recyclables and imposed an extremely stringent standard for others. Those recyclables are required to be 99.5 percent free of contaminants as of March 1. This in turn has created a lack of other markets for some of these materials, which has depressed their costs and resulted in them being stockpiled or sent to the landfill. Without action from the federal government, this could shake public confidence in recycling and create long-term consequences,” said NWRA President and CEO Darrell Smith in the letter.

The letter is signed by Smith and Terry Guerin, chair of the Services Board of Governors.