On October 25, 2018 the Financial Times published a comprehensive analysis of the world’s recycling market – (recent) past, present and future.
According to the article, “(o)n December 31 2017, China, previously the centre of the global recycling trade, abruptly shut its doors to imports of recycled material, citing the fact that large amounts of the waste were “dirty” or “hazardous” and thus a threat to the environment. The prices of plastic scrap collapsed, as did the price of low-grade paper. Suddenly, the lucrative trade that had sprung up shipping recyclables around the world was in crisis.”
Registered users may read the article on the Financial Times internet site.