Implications of China’s foreign waste ban on the global circular economy

As a main destination for recycling, reuse and disposal of solid waste in the global circular economy, China has recently issued a new regulation on its imports, banning 24 types of solid waste in 4 categories, including waste plastics, unsorted scrap papers, discarded textile materials, and vanadium slags. Bans on additional types of solid waste will take effect soon. Here we discuss the possible profound effects of such policy changes on the global circular economy of solid waste. Recycling industries in developed countries will face challenges in the short run, due to their limited capacity and past reliance on exporting, but also opportunities in the long run. Furthermore, developing countries currently without stringent environmental regulations will likely become the new “pollution haven” of solid waste from developed countries and even emerging economies such as China itself. To truly reap the benefits from China's new policies which are originally designed for environmental sustainability and social justice, the global community needs to develop appropriate policy framework to prevent the unintended consequences.