Notes from a talk to the EAG by Kathy Scarborough, Unley Council Waste Management Coordinator
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The main reason for China refusing to accept recyclables from Australia (and the rest of the world) is contamination eg. plastics and rubbish mixed with paper and vice versa. China will only accept material with less than 0.5% contamination which is not achievable through our kerbside recycling collection process.
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Recycling companies sort recyclable waste to remove contamination but this is not adequate with present technology to meet China's new standards.
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Australian recycling facilities are being expanded to fill the gap but need financial assistance in the short term due to the huge drop in prices they now receive for their products. In the long term they need markets for their recy...
