WasteDive provides a great look at how China's recycling import policies are impacting all of us around the U.S.
Communities across Oregon - and around the country - are struggling with contaminated recyclables, which has contributed to a sharp drop in interest in U.S. recycled materials from China, the major market for them.
Contamination happens when we put things into recycling bins that can't be recycled and/or are dirty (i.e., trash, items with food residue).
Resource Recycling compiled a great summary of “Recycling Markets Development in the 21st Century,” a workshop co-hosted by the National Recycling Coalition (NRC) and the Association of Oregon Recyclers (AOR) on April 4, 2018.
China, which had been receiving more than half of the world's recycling, is no longer accepting most plastics and recycled paper with a contamination level above 0.5 percent as part of its "National Sword" policy.
Meeting this new quality specification has been almost impossible for U.S. processors. Oregon processors have been looking elsewhere, and it's costing more money.
KGW news reports,if the item has been on Metro's list of acceptable recyclables, it is still okay to put into the bin.
Shredded paper, egg cartons and most plastic containers now are bound for the trash in Marion County, which includes the state capital, Salem, the Seattle Times reports.
Due to a lack of local hog fuel wood fiber users, the McFarlane’s Bark Vancouver and Milwaukie yards will no longer accept wood waste materials, pallets, construction wood, mill-cut wood, and commercially-cut wood as of Sunday, April 1, 2018.
They will continue accepting land clearing debris, trees, stumps, grass, leaves, and yard debris.
The National Recycling Coalition (NRC) will hold a series of workshops around the country to address recycling markets development. NRC, a national voice for recycling issues, is hosting these workshops to allow participants within the targeted region to learn how to attract and develop new and local markets for recycling materials.
China's National Sword policy is particularly affecting Southern Oregon recycling programs. Here's a round-up of news articles on this issue:
Curbside Recycling Pickup Under Threat in Oregon Communities (A review of what's happening with recycling programs in Southern Oregon.) - from WRAL.com
In response to China's recent policies restricting the amount of contamination in recyclables it accepts, Coos County has reduced its contamination in its recycling by 85 percent in just two months.
