Following China's policy of "restricting the import of foreign waste," the global landscape for industrial waste such as waste paper and waste plastics has been impacted, with a large amount of industrial waste being diverted to Southeast Asian countries, including Taiwan. Taiwan's imports of plastic waste in the first half of this year were 2.5 times higher than the same period last year. The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) estimates that this could result in the import of 400,000 to 500,000 tons of waste paper and waste plastics this year. Therefore, on the 13th, the EPA announced amendments to the Waste Disposal Act, adjusting the quality of waste plastics and waste paper and the qualifications of importers to control imported industrial waste. In the future, waste plastics must be of a single material and form; waste paper will only be accepted in the form of kraft paper, cardboard, and corrugated paper, with no mixing of materials allowed. In addition to restricting the quality of imported waste, only legal factories will be allowed to import it, not traders. The new regulations are expected to take effect as early as October. "Things that conflict with domestic recycling will be prioritized for banning. We want high-quality processing, not low-quality processing that leaves pollution in Taiwan," emphasized Chang Tzu-ching, Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA). He specifically pointed out that unprocessed waste plastics cannot be imported into Taiwan. The new regulations require single-material, single-form waste, and in the future, only factories will be authorized to import it. Lai Ying-ying, Director of the Waste Management Division, explained that under current regulations, there are two ways to import industrial waste: one is to apply for a permit, and the other is that the 15 types listed in the "Industrial Waste for Industrial Use" list do not require an application. EPA's actual investigations of processing plants have found that plastic waste mainly comes from Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Mexico, and Germany, but some of it is clearly unsorted, which increases processing costs and leaves more unusable waste. The EPA's amendment this time is to the first item of the "Announcement of Industrial Waste for Industrial Use," specifically the import conditions for waste paper and waste plastics. The new regulations will require that waste plastics originate from scraps or defective products generated during the plastic manufacturing process and must not include medical waste. Quality control will be limited to plastics of a single material or type. Waste paper will be limited to recycled unbleached kraft paper, cardboard, and corrugated paper or paperboard, and must not contain any non-paper materials. Furthermore, importers of both types of waste plastics must be legally registered factories or factories exempt from registration. Previously, waste plastic imports were roughly split between direct factory imports and imports by trading companies, while the vast majority of paper imports were handled by paper mills themselves. Lai Ying-ying explained that the new regulations, allowing only factories to import, will allow for better control over the flow of waste. The new regulations are expected to take effect as early as October, and customs will strengthen border inspections. Foreign Waste Inundates Taiwan, Plastic and Paper Recycling Prices Plummet; Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) to Assist Cleaning Teams in Improving Sorting. Domestic waste paper prices have plummeted in recent years, dropping from over NT$4 per kilogram to just over NT$2. Plastic prices have also fallen due to the decline in international oil prices and the influx of foreign waste, dropping from NT$3 per kilogram last year to NT$0.5 to NT$1 now. This could lead to pollution remaining in Taiwan after foreign waste is processed, while domestic waste has nowhere to go. Chang Tzu-ching stated that to solve this problem, in addition to restricting the quality of imported industrial waste, the EPA will also assist in improving the domestic recycling system. Chang admitted that currently, domestic recycling is hampered by the inability of many township and urban cleaning teams to handle waste properly, resulting in poor prices or even unsold waste. The EPA will have its Inspection Team assist underperforming areas by providing sorting machines or outsourcing the handling of large quantities of waste. Source: Environmental Information Center (2018/08/13)
