[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] China, known as the 'garbage superpower,' will completely ban the import of solid waste starting January 1 next year. Due to this impact, concerns are being raised that a 'second garbage crisis' may occur domestically.
According to Chinese foreign media on the 27th, four departments?the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Ministry of Commerce, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the General Administration of Customs?announced on the 25th a "Notice on the Complete Ban of Solid Waste Imports," firmly expressing their intention to halt imports.
The four departments stated, "From January 1, 2021, no solid waste of any form may be imported, and foreign solid waste must not be dumped, stored, or processed within China."
The notice also included that "the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will no longer accept applications for import permits for recyclable solid waste starting next year, and import permits issued in 2020 must be used within their indicated validity period."
Additionally, customs authorities announced that they will no longer issue related permits.
China, the world's largest importer of waste, has been gradually restricting the import of solid waste since 2018 due to environmental pollution concerns.
As a result, exports of plastic waste and other materials to China were blocked, causing a China-originated garbage crisis in South Korea in 2018.
With this announcement, China has clearly shown its stance to ban solid waste exports for environmental protection, raising concerns that another 'second garbage crisis' may occur.
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