Trash and Abjection - Operation National Sword

 Trash and Abjection - China's Operation National Sword



In 2017, China announced a new policy initiative to monitor and more carefully review recyclable waste imports: Operation National Sword. Prior to the policy's implementation, China had been importing the majority of recyclables from Europe and North America for two decades. 

The practice of buying up recyclables from other countries brought in raw materials for China's growing industries. Due to low pricing and low contamination standards, China bought up a majority of global plastic waste. When it came to the point where China no longer wanted or needed to purchase low-quality and contaminated recyclables, Operation National Sword was implemented. 

Prior to the ban, 95% of plastics from the EU and 70% of plastics in the U.S. were sent to China. After the implementation, plastic imports to China decreased by 99%. Operation National Sword caused a ripple effect in the global recyclables market, causing pile ups in Western countries. Much of this plastic waste was diverted to other countries (mainly Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and India). 

In the U.S., many local governments halted or curtailed their recycling programs, leading to more plastic ending up in landfills, as residents were instructed to toss recyclables into the trash. In Philadelphia, the majority of recyclables were diverted to a waste-to-energy plant, causing concerns over air pollution. Displaced processors from China announced plans to open up new processing plants in South Carolina and Alabama.

In Europe, incineration rose drastically, from 665,000 tons of waste burned prior to Operation National Sword to a steep 11 million tons after the initiatives implementation. In a step to reduce waste, the EU enacted a plan in 2021 to ban single-use plastics (plates, cutlery, straws, etc.) from being placed on the market.  

Though Operation National Sword caused great chaos throughout the world, the policy exposed flaws in the international waste management system. 




Key Terms:
国剑行动 - Guó jiàn xíngdòng - Operation National Sword
垃圾 - lèsè - trash
回收 - huíshōu - recycling
塑料 - sùliào - plastic
污染 - wūrǎn - contaminated


Link to further reading: https://e360.yale.edu/features/piling-up-how-chinas-ban-on-importing-waste-has-stalled-global-recycling


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fast Fashion & China

Image
         China stands at the epicenter of the global apparel industry, serving as a manufacturing hub for numerous fast fashion brands. The country's competitive advantage in production efficiency and low labor costs has fueled its dominance in this sector. However, the ramifications of this dominance has significant impacts ethical and environmental concerns.     Fast fashion is characterized by rapid production cycles and quick turnover of trendy clothing at affordable prices, ushered in by an era of unprecedented consumerism. The fast fashion industry's relentless pursuit of low-cost, high-volume production has led to environmental degradation on a colossal scale, from excessive water usage and chemical pollution in textile manufacturing to the massive carbon footprint generated by transportation and disposal of garments, leading to a staggering environmental toll.      Shein, an infamous fast fashion retailer founded in China in 2008...
Read more

Solving Hong Kong's "Throwaway Culture"

Image
    Hong Kong, a bustling metropolis in China, has a culture marred by rapid consumption, where convenience often overshadows environmental conscientiousness. The pervasive use of single-use plastics have contributed significantly to Hong Kong's environmental footprint. Hong Kong is swimming with trash; 13 dumpsites are brimming and the three remaining landfills are expected to be filled up by 2030. In order to solve this issue, the city's throwaway culture must be altered, replacing disposable products with reusable ones.           When next Earth Day arrives on April 22, 2024, caterers and consumers in Hong Kong will see a ban on disposable plastic cutlery. This will affect more than 28,000 eateries.  This ban has two stages. The first, starting on Earth Day, will ban types of polystyrene and plastic tableware. This includes plastic forks, knives, spoons, and plates for dine-in customers and takeaway meals. During phase one, plast...
Read more

Adapting Confucianism for a Greener China

Image
China has a rich history of ecological thought, shaped by its unique geography, culture, and political systems. As the world's worst polluter (fossil fuel emissions are twice that of the USA), China must make significant strides towards sustainable development. In order to do so, China should center ecocentric and biocentric thought as a means of achieving sustainable development.  Though technically an atheist state, Confucianism is a significant philosophy (considered religious in some spheres) subscribed to in China. By incorporating more ecocentric teachings, Confucian is emerging as a force for a greener China.  Confucianism, historically, is seen to be quite anthropocentric, as it focuses mainly on human relationships and social harmony. However, if we look closer into the teachings of Confucianism, we find ecocentric and biocentric threads.  A main tenant of Confucianism is the balance and harmony between humanity, heaven, and earth. Ancient Confucian philosopher D...
Read more