Japan ’s 2005 ban on importing scrap plastic caused shipments from developed nations to fall to 1.7 million metric tonnes during 2005 , the lowest level since 2017 , according to a Nikkei study. Import caps and higher tariffs imposed by TOKYO/NEW YORK countries have also caused exports to that region, to which scrap was initially diverted, to decline. Japan and Western nations are now seeing backlogs develop due to inadequate internal recycling capacity. The industrial waste sector is also facing sharp increases in prices for plastic disposal.
China’s 2017 ban on importing scrap plastic caused shipments from developed nations to fall to 1.7 million metric tonnes during the second half of 2018, the lowest level since 2005, according to a Nikkei study. Import caps and higher tariffs imposed by ASEAN countries have also caused exports to that region, to which scrap was initially diverted, to decline. Japan and Western nations are now seeing backlogs develop due to inadequate internal recycling capacity. The industrial waste sector is also facing sharp increases in prices for plastic disposal.