A 70% recycling target set by China should incentivise reprocessors around the world to increase recyclate quality.
So, there we have it. China has well and truly shown its proverbial hand and announced a 70% recycling target by 2015. That is ambition on a monumental scale.
According to the Xinhua news agency, to meet this aim the country will implement a "complete and advanced" system to recycle metal, paper, plastic, glass, tyres, ELVs and WEEE. The system will include a complete waste network, "advanced technologies" and apparent "well-functioning sorting and standard management".
China will have huge challenges if it is to meet these targets. Yes it is cash rich. Yes economic pundits are predicting a bust following the boom. But yes it has the right environment to foster such radical change.
Currently a high percentage of generated waste is sent to landfill, with a growing amount sent to waste to energy plants. The thought of introducing enough infrastructure to recycle 70% in as little as four years time in a country like the UK is quite frankly laudable. Planning difficulties just wouldn't make it feasible. China is a different story. With enough money and more relaxed, some might say "lax", planning laws they might just be able to pull this off.
This plan will also impact international material exporters. For example, in the mass build up to the 2008 Olympic Games, China was hungry for material and exporters were making the most of it. It was not until the end of 2008 when China closed the door on imported recyclables that the West's dependency on the East was highlighted. As many of you will remember, UK newspapers were littered with articles showing fields stacked with mountains of bottles and paper, with no home to go to. Reports said China was officially shut for business. But this wasn't exactly true. I later found out that China was infact still importing healthy amounts of material, but good quality material. It was being picky. So any paper and plastics not up to scratch were being denied.
So what does this story mean for the 70% target? Well, by increasing internal recycling capacity, this will of course lessen China's demand for imports. And like in 2008, they will be choosy over their international suppliers. Many waste processors will have to upgrade old equipment and invest heavily to adopt and meet quality protocols. Otherwise China could simply close the door again. And with a growing waste to energy sector (100 waste incineration plants already in operation), China could well and truly be generating – and processing – all of its waste without leaving the border.
Clearly China is on the path to try and clear up its environment and subsequent tarred reputation, ravaged from years of heavy industrialisation. Although the country is rightfully tentative in stepping in to help fix the current Euro furore, if it meets the 70% recycling target, it could well become self sufficient. And that could really change the industry.
Tom Freyberg
Chief Editor, Waste Management World
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