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Southeast Asia braces for trash dump as China enacts waste import ban
Sen Nguyen
Published: 10:00am, 12 Dec, 2020
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A river canal in Ho Chi Minh City choked by mostly plastic waste. Photo: Sen Nguyen
China, which used to be the world’s salvage king, is shutting its door to all waste imports starting the first day of the new year. The recent announcement triggered the same kind of anxiety among waste-exporting countries as in 2018, when China enacted its “Operation National Sword” policy, which banned the import of 24 types of solid waste, including plastic waste.
The 2018 policy switch caused the world’s major waste-exporting countries – Europe, Britain, the US and Australia – to scramble for alternative destinations, including
Southeast Asian
nations like Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia, which quickly became overwhelmed by the volume of refuse they received. Soon after, these countries began to impose their own bans and restrictions on waste imports.
With China’s latest announcement about a blanket waste ban, concerns have been raised about the effects this might have on Southeast Asian countries, where limited waste-management capacities are common.
www.scmp.com
- On January 1, China will no longer be accepting waste from other countries, with Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia likely to feel the brunt of the new policy
- Although the three countries have taken steps to deal with mounting trash, corruption and weak policies could doom them to remain buried in refuse
Sen Nguyen
Published: 10:00am, 12 Dec, 2020
Why you can trust SCMP
TOP PICKS
This Week in Asia
‘Fear of China’ pushing Australia and India towards trade pact
11 Dec 2020
This Week in Asia
Will Indian film star Rajinikanth be a hit at the political box office?
12 Dec 2020
Coronavirus
Tears of joy as China extends panda cub Xiang Xiang’s stay in Japan
11 Dec 2020
This Week in Asia
Indian farmers arm themselves with food and willpower to beat Modi
11 Dec 2020
35
4
A river canal in Ho Chi Minh City choked by mostly plastic waste. Photo: Sen Nguyen
China, which used to be the world’s salvage king, is shutting its door to all waste imports starting the first day of the new year. The recent announcement triggered the same kind of anxiety among waste-exporting countries as in 2018, when China enacted its “Operation National Sword” policy, which banned the import of 24 types of solid waste, including plastic waste.
The 2018 policy switch caused the world’s major waste-exporting countries – Europe, Britain, the US and Australia – to scramble for alternative destinations, including
Southeast Asian
nations like Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia, which quickly became overwhelmed by the volume of refuse they received. Soon after, these countries began to impose their own bans and restrictions on waste imports.
With China’s latest announcement about a blanket waste ban, concerns have been raised about the effects this might have on Southeast Asian countries, where limited waste-management capacities are common.
Southeast Asia braces for trash dump as China’s door shuts
On January 1, China will no longer be accepting waste from other countries, with Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia likely to feel the brunt of the new policy.
www.scmp.com
