China's ban on imports forces rethink among countries in region on disposal

With a Chinese ban on imports of solid waste having come in at the start of the year, countries in the region are stepping up their recycling efforts.

Mageswari Sangaralingam, a research officer at the Consumers' Association of Penang in Malaysia, said the Chinese move coincides with new conditions under the Basel Convention Plastic Waste Amendments also taking effect on Jan 1.

Due to environmental and health considerations, China's ban applies to the dumping, stacking and disposal of solid waste from overseas on Chinese soil. The Chinese decision has galvanized efforts in many countries to reduce their own waste.