In the wake of China’s decision to prohibit foreign exports of certain recyclable waste, council contractors are no doubt scratching their heads as to what to do next. How do they manage their obligations, where will all this material go etc. Have you heard about a ‘Force Majeure’? Me neither. Over the past couple of weeks it has become a term worth noting, because it could very well become a term on the tip of Victoria’s collective tongue. A council contractor has reportedly invoked a ‘force majeure’ to suspend the performance of their obligations; to councils or businesses where they collect and offer recycling services due to China’s ban on foreign waste, which kicked off on the 1st of January and threw the world’s plastic recycling operation into [...]

China has long been the leader in imported recyclable materials, just as it is in much of the world’s international trade. However, the decision by China to no longer accept recyclable imports has sent much of the world into disarray. On 18 July of last year, China informed the World Trade Organisation that it would ban imports of 24 categories of recyclables and solid waste by the beginning of 2018. The decision has come on the back of the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection’s campaign against ‘foreign garbage’ for the sake of the environment and public health. The documentary ‘Plastic China’ focuses on a makeshift recycling plant, located just outside of Qingdao in China. It is one of many remote toxic towns that process the world’s plastic. Impoverished Chinese [...]