The Impact Analysis of Waste Plastic Trade between China and Japan—From Policy View

Abstract

The 3R policy in Japan promoted the recycling of waste resources; however, at the same time, it also triggered a rapid increase in the export of waste plastics to China. As a result, domestic material recycling (MR) of waste plastics generated in Japan has been declining, which may lead to a hollowing out of Japan’s waste plastic recycling business. In this study, we conducted a macro analysis of the effects of the 3R policy in Japan and the economic situation of Japan and China on the flow of waste plastics by following changes in trade volume of waste plastics between the two countries from the 1990s through 2010. From the results of this analysis, it can be seen that waste plastics exports from Japan have continued to increase, driven by the legal structure related to the 3R policy in Japan and the rapid increase in the demand for plastics in China. However, the export from Japan seems to be already reaching a limit On the other hand, when viewed from China’s perspective, China has been importing waste plastics not only from Japan but also from about 120 countries around the world. Total imports in 2009 amounted to approximately 7.3 million tons, while imports from Japan (1.35 million tons) accounted for only about 20% of total waste plastics imports. The immediate cause is the rapid economic growth of China; however, various policies in China have also further increased the demand for plastics. Therefore, the demand for waste plastics in China is expected to continue increasing in the future. In addition, among waste plastics imported to China, inappropriate items included among the waste plastics have been on the rise in light of the Basel Convention, and there are concerns about the effects of environmental pollution resulting from the recycling business in China.