China’s State Administration for Market Regulation has published a range of standards for recycled plastics.
Previously, China has told the WTO that it will allow import of recycled materials that meet its own standards.
The new standards are set to be implemented on 1 May 2022. They include:
- GB/T 40006.5-2021 Plastics. Recycled plastics. Part 5: Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) materials
- GB/T 40006.6-2021 Plastics. Recycled plastics. Part 6: Polystyrene (PS) and impact-resistant polystyrene (PS-I) materials
- GB/T 40006.7-2021 Plastics. Recycled plastics. Part 7: Polycarbonate (PC) materials
- GB/T 40006.8-2021 Plastics Recycled Plastics Part 8: Polyamide (PA) materials
- GB/T 40006.9-2021 Plastics. Recycled plastics. Part 9: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) materials
Details of what is included in each of these standards has yet to be published on any Chinese Government websites.
China previously published standards for PE-based plastics in June, and these are scheduled to be implemented from 1 December 2021. It also published general rules on plastic recycling on this date.