China will ban all imports of solid wastes from Jan 1, 2021, authorities have said.
It is prohibited to import solid wastes by any means, and it is prohibited to dump, pile up or dispose of solid wastes outside China.
The total ban is the culmination of policies introduced since 2017 to phase out the import of solid wastes. For example, in late 2017 China banned the import of 24 types of solid waste, including unsorted paper, textiles and vanadium slag.
In 2020, Ministry of Ecology and Environment has approved and issued the import license for the restricted import of solid wastes that can be used as raw materials. It should be used within the validity period of 2020 stated in the certificate, and it will become invalid if it expires.
For those who violate relevant regulations and import foreign solid wastes into China, the customs shall return the goods and impose a fine; If the case constitutes a crime, criminal responsibility shall be investigated according to law. At the same time, the carrier and the importer shall be liable for the return and disposal of solid wastes.
With the growing public awareness of environmental issues and the success of China's green development drive, the country's solid wastes imports have decreased significantly.
Source: Sarah Yu, XINDE MARINE NEWS
The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Xinde Marine News.
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