An effort in China to curb pollution means Portland-area recycler Far West Fibers has to change the kinds of containers and plastic items it can accept.
An effort in China to curb pollution means Portland-area recycler Far West Fibers has to change the kinds of containers and plastic items it can accept.
Vinod Singh, operations manager for Far West Fibers’ Beaverton plant, says China has increased inspections on imports of recycled material, meaning the country is no longer accepting anything low grade or contaminated.
“Before, we had plastic containers and you could sort what was a bottle, and what wasn’t a bottle — anything from a pen cap to a children’s slide,” Singh says. “That window’s gone now.”
According to Singh, Far West Fibers is having trouble finding a place for all the plastic it still has. That means the company cannot take much of the things consumers have dropped into curbside recycling bins, he says.
Read more at The Portland Tribune.
{biztweet}china portland recycle{/biztweet}
