China’s “National Sword” policy was enacted in January 2018. The policy prohibited the import of most plastic waste and other materials that were being recycled in China. Before the ban China handled nearly half of the world’s recyclable waste.
In Numbers:
Prior to China's ban, China handled:
95% of the plastics collected for recycling in the European Union.
70% of the plastics percent in the U.S.
Before China’s ban:
9% of discarded plastics were being recycled
12% were burned
Positive Impact:
In Australia, New South Wales government invested AU$66.9m (AED 176.28m) in domestic sorting, processing and recycling of waste.
Around 65 million households in the United States were provided with curb-side recycling services.
European waste managers are shifting to domestic recycling.
Read more: https://recycling.tomra.com/blog/chinese-national-sword-inspire-global-recycling-innovation