In 2017, the government of China started a policy called Operation National Sword (ONS) to check more closely the recyclable waste that was being imported. Beginning on January 1, 2018, China banned 24 types of solid waste and stopped accepting plastic waste that had more than 0.05% contamination, which was much lower than the 10% allowed before. For many years before this policy, China imported most of its recyclable materials from North America and Europe. This practice provided raw materials for China’s growing industries but also brought large amounts of polluted recyclables, which caused environmental problems like air and water pollution.
China first warned about limiting its imports of dirty waste and recyclables in 2013 through a program called Operation Green Fence, which hurt waste exporters in Western countries. The later ONS policy was seen as a move by China to address issues with Western nations. This policy changed how recyclables were handled globally, leading to large amounts of recyclable waste piling up in Western countries that used single-stream recycling systems. Some of this waste was then sent to other countries, mainly in Southeast Asia, such as Vietnam and Malaysia.
Background
In February 2013, the Chinese government started Operation Green Fence. This program came before Operation National Sword. Operation Green Fence was a strict inspection program designed to reduce the amount of dirty recyclable materials and waste being sent to China.
Implementation
In April 2017, Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping spoke during the 34th meeting of the Reform Enforcement Task Force. He stressed the importance of addressing environmental problems caused by foreign waste. On July 18, 2017, China informed the World Trade Organization (WTO) that it planned to stop importing more types of solid waste by the end of 2017. This included plastic waste, unsorted paper waste, and used textile materials. The government also said the allowed amount of impurities in recycled materials would decrease from 5–10% to 0.5%. In March 2018, the National Sword policy began, banning the import of 24 types of scrap materials, such as low-quality plastics and unsorted mixed paper.
Impact
After the policy was introduced, a chain reaction occurred, affecting how much plastic was allowed to be imported by Chinese recyclers. Right after China shared its plans in July 2017, groups like the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries and the Bureau of International Recycling said this change could lead to job losses, close many recycling centers, and increase the amount of waste sent to landfills. ONS encouraged countries in the West to send waste to nations such as Malaysia, the Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand, and India, along with others. However, by early 2019, many Southeast Asian countries also began refusing the waste. A 2018 study predicted that ONS could move about 111 million tons of discarded plastic by 2030.
A major reason China introduced the 2017 National Sword Policy was to reduce the import of low-quality plastics that were difficult to sort and recycle. These plastics had been piling up in landfills and at recycling centers. Before the ban, 95% of plastics collected in the European Union and 70% of plastics sent from the U.S. were sent to mainland China and Hong Kong. Most of these plastics were of low quality due to a method where all recyclables are collected together, making it harder to separate different colors and types of plastic.
When the policy was put into place in 2017, plastic imports to China dropped by 99%. This caused delays in waste management across Europe and North America. When buyers were found, most European plastic was sent to countries like Indonesia, Turkey, India, Malaysia, and Vietnam.