The Macao Special Administrative Region has banned the import and transit of paper and cardboard for recycling with immediate effect.
In an order by the chief executive of Macao, paper and cardboard with the commodity codes 470710, 470720, 470730 and 470790 are no longer permitted for import into the territory. These commodity codes cover all recovered fibre.
The order was made to “improve the local solid waste import management system, and strengthen the prevention of environmental risks caused by the import and transshipment of waste paper from other places”.
With Macao, like Hong Kong, part of China but with its own laws and economic system, but also located close to Hong Kong and Guangdong in China, its Government formulated the new regulation “by referring to the control direction of waste paper in neighbouring areas and comprehensively analysing the actual situation in Macao”.
China is to ban imports of waste paper by the end of this year.
