Chinese authorities redefined the ban of import plastic scrap

Several months after Chinese government notified the World Trade Organisation (WTO) that it will suspend the import of foreign garbage by end of 2017 and send waves to the global recycle industry; the country is now amending the rules, media reports said.

In a latest announcement, Chinese authority ruled out that post-industrial grades of polyethylene, polystyrene, PVC and two grades of material "not elsewhere classified" under harmonized system tariff codes are allowed to be imported. Post-consumer waste will still be banned. However, market remains in a watch out mode for clearer definition of post-industrial and post-consumer grades from the government.

“A majority of plastic waste still come from post consumer sources. The announcement therefore can be considered as a positive news, but not much,” Kathy Xuan, the CEO of Romeoville, Ill.-based plastics recycler Parc Corp., said.

A number of Chinese recyclers in China have had their import licenses revoked under the stepped-up environmental inspection regime this year. Remaining companies are allowed to import the defined plastic scrap once the authorities clear out new rules and regulations.