China is drafting its first law on creating a “circular economy” that provides a legal framework for its national sustainable development strategy. Mao Rubai, chairman of the Environmental and Resources Protection Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), said the draft law will improve resource efficiency, and is expected to pass at the end of the year.
The handling of eWaste is included in the framework, of which China takes about 70 percent of the world's 'supply'.There's quite a few doubts that this policy will have any effect; one anon in the piece claims that "Many articles in the draft are very hard to put into practice in China", and that there is no "clear and tough punishment for those who violate the rules of the circular economy.” It's hard to disagree, but it's also the best course that can be steered.
Consider this - China accepted massive amounts of eWaste for years, mostly in an unregulated framework, and probably in an effort to garnish raw materials and provide jobs for the 10 million Chinese who process this stuff. With the Green Hammer coming down, they realize it's time to change, but even China can't stop a rocket on a dime. It's clear that there's going to be a transition period here, with big smiles and gladhanding as a raft of toothless laws and benign directives get put into place. It's just paying dues.
The China eWaste saga continues, but I think I can add a few more pieces to the puzzle. Let's start with demand; China is growing like mad, sucking up about 30 percent of the world's supply of minerals and other raw materials. It's these minerals that are of interest to us, as eWaste is full of minerals. Gold, steel, iron, copper, eWaste has it all. So this waste stream, except when it has hand grenades in it, is a good one to import and process; it's a waste stream that no one wants and they are happy to send it to China.
Now, we all know that the 10 million unlicensed Chinese who process a lot of this stuff don't do the best job at it; acid baths, open air burning, etc. And maybe they aren't getting rich off it, but the potential does exist to make big bucks off recycling. For example, check out Zhang Yin, who in five short years made 7 billion processing waste paper in China. So there is some profit to be made, people are getting rich, and there is definitely potential to turn the free waste stream into cash.
Up to now, I think that this has been fine with the Chinese. However, now I think we are going to see a shift for several reasons. One is that they know that the eWaste processing is causing serious health issues, and the burgeoning middle class won't put up with that. Two, they are coming out with Chinese RoHS, which has no exemptions and will require detailed labelling and reporting. I believe they will use these regulations to climb to the next rung on the ladder; namely, to selectively limits products coming into China for use by their new middle class. This will allow them to expand their line of 'clean goods', while simultaneously phasing out the old eWaste program. Essentially, they are transforming the amount of resources they need to build things into buying clean goods from other countries.
It's so hard to tell with China and their eWaste problem/policy. According to BAN, they are mad as hell and aren't going to take it anymore; eWaste that is, from other countries such as Britain which handed them 1.9 millions tons in the last eight years. They even have their own State Environmental Protection Agency, and the site is in English for concerned folks like me to read. The link is slow, go make yourself a sandwich while it loads.
I guess you don't stop accepting 70 percent of the world's eWaste overnight. One thing that would really help is to establish recycling in the host countries, but when you can send a 26 ton shipping container of waste plastic to China for 500 British pounds, it's hard to make an economic argument. In true Chinese fashion, they made themselves the world leader of waste processing, unmatched in processing quantity or price. And they did this by using business-friendly, loose regulations. It's not unlike the United States.
If they want to change, they do have at least one friend, and that friend is England. Judging from the numerous self-critical reviews in the Independent and New Consumer that have appeared recently, they seem mostly likely to start a solve for the problem. Now the only question is whether China is serious.
Still trying to get to the bottom of China's eWaste problems and policies. China Daily reports that there are new rules that will require producers to deal with eWaste. Still not sure if this is talk, teeth, or very strong gums. Maybe I need to clean my Chinese glasses to figure out what rules and contracts really mean in China (hint: it's a lot different than the West.)
At the same time, Basel Action Network reaffirmed that China is the eWaste dumping ground for the world. The article states that:
...Some of the waste is shipped to inland provinces of China from the coastal communities where processing plants are located, China Radio International said Tuesday. If the government doesn't intervene, the shipment to interior provinces will increase.
Suggesting that the government hasn't intervened. Similarly, Hu Tao, a spokesperson, said:
The Basel Convention, adopted in 1989, bans countries from transporting hazardous wastes across boundaries for disposal, especially into developing countries. Tao said a number of countries did not sign the treaty, so the dumping has been able to continue.
Suggesting that the problem is that exporters are letting this stuff slip by their own customs people. Hmmm.....
