China cracks down on plastic scrap importers

By Anil Mathews (ScrapMonster Author)

November 06, 2015 07:35:12 AM

BEIJING (Scrap Monster): The Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection has initiated spot inspections at scrap plastic importing facilities. The two-month action by the Ministry is aimed to ensure that scrap users in the country operate in strict compliance with the plastic scrap import regulations. The initiative, which started on November 1st, will run through December this year.

As per the initiative, provincial offices of Chinese Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) are entitled to conduct surprise inspection at scrap plastic users. The officers are supposed to have thorough check on record keeping, the facilities implemented to prevent pollution and standards of emission of pollutants from the plant.

The checking by EPA officials will mainly focus on whether the importer of plastic scrap has indulged themselves in reselling of waste plastic, either in part or whole. According to solid waste import license clause, all legal imports must be for their own use and importers are not allowed to sell the imported goods to a third party. Reselling of goods imported under the solid waste import license is considered as punishable offence in the country.

The inspection will also examine whether the plant has carried out imports of solid waste that are prohibited by law. It will also check whether the imported scrap meet prescribed environmental control standards. Imports that fail to meet the purity standards set by the EPA will be deemed as illegal. Necessary action will also be taken if the importer fails to dispose impurities or other-than-plastic content in a hazard-free manner.

Meantime, plastics scrap imports by China have dropped sharply to 3.58 million metric tons during the half-yearly period in 2015. The plastics scrap imports by the country had totaled 8.45 million metric tons during the whole year 2014. The downtrend in imports is likely to continue.