Amid wide concern and perplexity in the global industry, Chinese authorities issued a dispatch 29 February clarifying the ban on imports of used plastic flexible packaging.
In order to unify enforcement, the document said, the ban applies to post-consumer plastic bags, film and web collected from a consumer s residence or sorted out from post-consumer waste, as well as used agricultural film.
Post-industrial waste is exempt from the ban, which became effective 1 March.
The dispatch came from China s State Environmental Protection Administration, China Customs and the Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.
Plastics News was supplied a copy of the dispatch, not yet available on any of the agency s Web sites, by Kathy Xuan, North Aurora, Ill-based vice president of the recycling committee of the China Plastics Processing Industry Association.
China s existing regulations also prohibit imports of plastic container waste that haven t been cleaned and shredded.
In order to unify enforcement, the document said, the ban applies to post-consumer plastic bags, film and web collected from a consumer s residence or sorted out from post-consumer waste, as well as used agricultural film.
Post-industrial waste is exempt from the ban, which became effective 1 March.
The dispatch came from China s State Environmental Protection Administration, China Customs and the Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.
Plastics News was supplied a copy of the dispatch, not yet available on any of the agency s Web sites, by Kathy Xuan, North Aurora, Ill-based vice president of the recycling committee of the China Plastics Processing Industry Association.
China s existing regulations also prohibit imports of plastic container waste that haven t been cleaned and shredded.
