Page 38 - Plastics News July 2017

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

China sends out army of inspectors for 'intense' review of recycling

plants

eijing is deploying an army of inspectors throughout be penalties for using machines not on a list of permitted
BJuly to crack down on pollution in the plastics recycling equipment. "It is expected that a number of recycling
industry, according to a top official of the China Scrap factories will hardly be able to meet the strict standards
Plastics Association.The 1,700 inspectors, divided into 60 and may face the problems of import permit curtailments
teams, are fanning out across China to any factory holding or even being entirely rescinded," Wong said.
an import license for waste recycling, said Steven C.K. "Some factories have to suspend production until the
Wong, executive president of the Beijing-based group,
import of plastic scraps has resumed after new import
permits are released." Wong is also chairman of Fukutomi
Co. Ltd., a Hong Kong recycler established in 1984. Wong
said if inspectors find shipments of contaminated waste,
importers and their overseas suppliers will have 100 percent
of their shipments checked by customs officials for 90 days.
Additional violations will result in the inspection period
being extended for 180 days. Serious offenders may lose
their import license from China's General Administration of
Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, or AQSIQ,
Wong said. By July 14, the teams are expected to have
inspected 600 recyclers, with the remainder of the country's
in a statement. They will also inspect local government recyclers inspected by the end of the month, CSPA said.
offices in charge of supervising those licenses for potential There are 1,792 licensed importers nationwide, Wong said.
"malfeasance," Wong said. CSPA, which issued statements "There is going to be a big earthquake. It's going to change
July 7 and July 10, links this "intense" round of inspections everything," Shan Xia Qiang of Asei Group, which has plants
to an April 18 announcement from a high-level solid waste in China and Japan, told Replas attendees. Even though
management task force led by China's President Xi Jinping. China is the world's biggest importer of scrap plastics,
"It is believed that a large number of such factories will not imports have declined since peaking in 2011.
be able to pass the inspection this time as most of them do
not achieve... the very strict compliance and control on This month's aggressive moves have been anxiously
production pollution," Wong said. "Rather they follow what anticipated by China's recycling industry since February,
has become the prevailing industry norm." when Beijing announced the National Sword crackdown.
Those concerns were amplified by April's announcement,
CSPA said the inspectors will check on compliance with which many interpreted as laying the foundation for a broad
pollution regulations as well as proper use of the import ban on imported scrap. Wong said it is not entirely clear
permits. China has been plagued by reports of illegal what will happen. "Those factories which are allowed to
disposal of the highly contaminated wastewater generated rectify the non-compliance issues and continue operation
by recycling operations. At CSPA's Replas trade show in May are fortunate enough but whether to close down by end of
in Dongguan, government officials showed pictures of the year 2018 if a complete import ban really comes is yet to be
air at recycling plants thick with internal air pollution. seen," he said. "If this round of inspection can be completed
Illicit trading in import permits has been another headache within the timeframe of one month, it is considered a good
for Beijing. CSPA said market rumors are that 60 percent approach as it can at least keep the market impact at a
of import licenses could be suspended, and there could
minimum," he said.

Plastics News | July 2017 38