News

China's ban on the import of plastics waste looks likely to apply only to post-consumer flexible plastics waste and not post-industrial waste.

As revealed last week by packagingnews.co.uk, the ban was set to come into force on 1 March, but many in the UK plastics industry are still seeking confirmation about the materials it affects.

David Tyson, chief executive of the Packaging and Films Association, said he had heard suggestions that the ban would apply only to post-consumer waste.

If this was the case, he said, "it sounds as if they are recognising that it can create difficulties in the recycling quality of commercial waste if it's mixed together".

The Chinese government would have "recognised this ahead of our own government, which is trying to pressure us into recycling everything", he added.

Tyson was unable to say how much post-consumer flexible packaging waste was sent to China for reprocessing, but he thought it comprised a "smaller element" of the total exports than was accounted for by post-industrial waste.

British Plastics Federation director general Peter Davis was still seeking confirmation of the details of the ban, but pointed out that a large quantity of plastics waste would be "on the high seas on the way to China already".

He reiterated concerns that any ban could have a major impact on the UK's ability to meet landfill diversion targets.