Currently, China defines ‘Solid wastes’ in the National Standards of the People’s Republic of China “Identification standards for solid wastes – General rules”, whilst the quality thresholds for imported solid wastes as raw materials are set out in the National Standards of the People’s Republic of China Series GB 16487.
As Governments create their circular economies by substituting primary raw materials with recycled raw materials, questions will inevitably arise about exactly when wastes cease to be wastes and become those recycled raw materials. Furthermore, countries that are not self-sufficient in recycled raw materials will need to import them for their manufacturing needs. BIR predicts further changes to Chinese standards and laws in order to affect its recycled raw material needs.
