The Central Government of the People’s Republic of China reviewed and approved the Prohibition on imports of (selected) solid waste in promotion of their reformed solid waste import management plan

In the afternoon of April 18, President Xi Jinping held the 34th meeting of the Central Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform of the People’s Republic of China.

The meeting reviewed and approved the Prohibition on imports of (selected) solid waste in promotion of their reformed solid waste import management plan.

The meeting pointed out that in order to maintain national ecological and environmental safety as well as people’s health in general, and improve the import management system of solid waste, different sub-sectors should develop and implement a ban on solid waste imports through the adjustment of the import directory by categories in order to substantially reduce imports by type and volume through legal, economic and administrative means.

This will strengthen the regulation on solid waste management for the development of the Chinese circular economy.

Right now there is no detailed information on this, and BIR has been advised that the Ministry of Environmental Protection is formulating their new waste import catalogues, and more wastes will be listed on the "prohibited import" lists.