May 23 webinar: Will Recycling Survive in your Community?

ICMA:

The North American recycling industry has long relied on export markets, such as China, to purchase commodities from processing facilities. Recently, China changed its acceptance criteria for imported recyclable commodities. The net effect of these changes, known as “China Sword” is a significant reduction in acceptable contamination levels (from 3%+ to 0.5%) in any recovered paper and plastic grades intended for sale in China. Additionally, China has banned all mixed paper from import, regardless of contamination levels. As a result, certain areas of the United States have experienced new levels of volatility due to broader industry reliance on China and other export markets as their largest end-market buyers of recyclable commodities. This webinar will take a look at the China Sword changes, what recycling companies are doing to manage the changes, and offer suggestions on how cities can structure more successful partnerships to address these realities and keep recycling sustainable in your community. Read more.