China has added 32 materials, including specific ferrous and non-ferrous metals, to its prohibited waste list, according to an announcement by the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
The Ministry announced steel slag, post-industrial plastics, compressed auto pieces, small electric motors and insulated wires, and vessels will be prohibited by the end of the year.
By the end of 2019, wood pellets, stainless steel scrap, and nonferrous scrap excluding aluminium and copper will also be prohibited.
The announcement follows earlier actions by China to prohibit 24 categories of recyclable materials beginning on January 1, 2018, and the imposition of tighter quality standards on all scrap imports beginning on March 1, 2018.
The British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA) said it is “concerned” by the announcement.
BMRA – “BMRA is seeking further information and clarity while sharing our concerns with the other members of the EA China waste restrictions liaison group and more widely with Government.”
BMRA’s technical director, Howard Bluck, said: “The most recent extension of these restriction will concern exporters of recovered metal as it now names specific materials and metals, as well as including a host of non-ferrous metals. If the information is correct, of most concern are the bans on metal and electrical appliance scrap, including cable and wires, and stainless steel.”
China is a significant market for UK recyclers with around 400,000 tonnes of different metals worth over £200m being sent to China in 2017. BMRA says it is “hard to see” which materials will still be heading to China by the end of 2019.
With the shipping companies already “nervous” about taking materials to China, it says the situation could worsen even more rapidly.
“BMRA is seeking further information and clarity while sharing our concerns with the other members of the EA China waste restrictions liaison group and more widely with Government.”
ISRI – “Although we anticipated more import restrictions would be announced, we remain concerned about the effect these policies have on the global supply chain of environmentally-friendly, energy-saving scrap commodities and will instead promote an increased use of virgin materials in China…”
BMRA says is now more important than ever for the Government to take the global changes regarding waste and recycling into account when developing its Resources and Waste Strategy.
By including pull mechanisms and promoting sustainability through green procurement, BMRA says Government could really show it support for, and help build, a robust recycling industry in the UK.
In the US, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) says the announcement will have an impact on more than 676,000 metric tons, worth about $278m, in US scrap commodity exports to China in the first year, and another 85,000 metric tons worth more than $117m in the second year.
ISRI President Robin Wiener said: “Although we anticipated more import restrictions would be announced, we remain concerned about the effect these policies have on the global supply chain of environmentally-friendly, energy-saving scrap commodities and will instead promote an increased use of virgin materials in China, offsetting the government’s intent to protect the environment.”
In March, the US called for China to not implement its restrictions on waste imports, saying the new quality rules move the material away from “productive reuse and toward disposal”.
