Chinese restrictions from January will hit UK recycling efforts and risk plastic waste being stockpiled or ending up in landfill, warn industry leaders

行业领袖警告称，从明年1月起，中国的限制措施将打击英国的回收努力，并可能导致塑料垃圾被囤积或最终被填埋。



 Sorting paper and plastic waste in Oregon, US. In 2016, China imported 7.3m tonnes of waste plastics from developed countries including the UK, US and Japan. Photograph: Natalie Behring/Getty Image

美国俄勒冈州的纸张和塑料垃圾分类。2016年，中国从英国、美国和日本等发达国家进口了730万吨废塑料。摄影:Natalie Behring/Getty图片

A ban on imports of millions of tonnes ofplastic waste by the Chinese government from January could see an end tocollection of some plastic in the UK and increase the risk of environmentalpollution, according to key figures in the industry.

行业数据显示，中国从一月份起禁止进口数百万吨的塑料废料，可能会导致英国一些塑料的回收停止，并增加环境污染的风险。

Recycling companies say the imminentrestrictions by China – the world’s biggest market for household waste – willpose big challenges to the UK’s efforts to recycle more plastic.

回收公司表示，中国作为全球最大的生活垃圾市场，即将实施的限制措施将对英国回收更多塑料的努力构成巨大挑战。

The UK has exported over 2.7m tonnes of plastic waste to China and Hong Kong since 2012

自2012年以来，英国向中国内地和香港出口了逾270万吨塑料垃圾



Analysis of customs data by Greenpeacereveals British companies have shipped more than 2.7m tonnes of plastic wasteto China and Hong Kong since 2012 – two-thirds of the UK’s total waste plasticexports.

绿色和平组织根据海关数据的分析显示，自2012年以来，英国公司向中国和香港运送了超过270万吨塑料废物，占英国废物塑料出口总量的三分之二。

“Whatever happens we need to maintain control of the material becausethe bigger worry is about leakage of plastic into the environment,” saidFoster.

“无论发生什么，我们都需要保持对材料的控制，因为我们更担心是垃圾塑料污染环境，”福斯特说。

China’s dominance in manufacturing meansthat for years it has been the world’s largest importer of recyclablematerials. In 2016, China imported 7.3m tonnes of waste plastics from developedcountries including the UK, the US and Japan.

中国在制造业中的主导地位意味着多年来它一直是世界上最大的可回收材料进口国。2016年，中国从包括英国、美国和日本在内的发达国家进口了7.3亿吨废塑料。

But this summer the Chinese announced theyintended to stop the importation of 24 kinds of solid waste by the end of thisyear, including polyethylene terephthalate (Pet) drinks bottles, other plasticbottles and containers, and all mixed paper, in a campaign against yang laji or“foreign garbage”.

但今年夏天，中国宣布，他们打算在今年年底前停止进口24种固体废物，包括饮料瓶、其他塑料瓶和容器，以及废纸等，来打击“洋垃圾”。

The Chinese have also increased qualitycontrols for all other waste including cardboard, something other markets arelikely to follow, which will also put the British recycling industry under hugepressure. The impact could see local authorities reducing collections becausethey are not economically viable.

中国还提高了对包括纸板在内的所有其他垃圾的质量控制，其他市场可能会效仿这一做法，这也将给英国的回收行业带来巨大压力。其影响可能导致地方当局减少收藏，因为它们在经济上不可行。

Simon Ellin, chief executive of theRecycling Association, said the government was asleep on the job and thesituation was a shambles. “If the government is serious about waste andrecycling, they need to invest and come up with a coherent plan for the recyclingindustry,” he said.

“政府毫无作为，情况一团糟。如果政府认真对待废物和回收，他们需要投资，并为回收产业制定一个连贯的计划，”

Ray Georgeson, head of the ResourceAssociation, an advocacy body for the recycling industry, said the lower-gradematerials would have nowhere to go.

资源协会是回收产业的倡导机构，其负责人乔治森说，低级材料将无处可去。

Marcus Gover, chief executive of Wrap, saidthe restrictions posed “substantial challenges” and urgent action was needed tosecure a thriving recycling supply chain for plastics and paper to benefit theUK economically and environmentally. The quality of UK recycling has to improveto meet higher standards put in place by China and other markets, he said.

包装公司的首席执行官马库斯说，这些限制带来了“巨大的挑战”，需要立即采取行动，确保塑料和纸张的回收供应链蓬勃发展，使英国在经济和环境方面受益。他说，英国垃圾回收的质量必须达到中国和其他市场制定的更高标准。

Many believe the restriction of the Chinesemarket should be opportunity for the UK to develop its recycling infrastructureand forge a link with the UK manufacturing industry to utilise more recycledplastic.

许多人认为，中国市场的限制应该是英国发展其回收基础设施的机会，并与英国制造业建立联系，利用更多的回收塑料。

But many experts said the government wasnot taking action.

但许多专家表示，政府没有采取行动。

Foster said: “If you could get the link inplace with UK manufacturers making plastic products, so that it makes businessand environmental sense to use the recycled content and at the same time buildup the recycling infrastructure in the UK, this is a real opportunity.

福斯特说：“如果你能与英国制造商建立联系，生产塑料产品，这样利用回收的废弃物垃圾并在英国建立起回收产业就有了商业意义，这是一个真正的机会”。

“Weare also looking at ways to process more of our recycling at home as part ofour resources and waste strategy.”

“我们也在研究如何在家中进行更多的回收利用，并将其作为我们的废物资源战略的一部分。”