China cracks down on solid waste smuggling

China's customs detected 58,800 tonnes of smuggled solid waste last year amid a crackdown on illegally imported garbage, official data showed on Tuesday.

Chinese law on the control of solid waste bans imports of solid waste that cannot be used as raw materials or that poses a serious risk to the environment.

However, driven by high profit margins, some dealers smuggle or work with overseas organizations and bring foreign garbage to China illegally.

In a recent case, Qingdao customs in east China's Shandong Province sent back over 40 tonnes of undeclared waste plastics to its place of origin.

As of mid-December, Qingdao customs had busted 101 cases of solid waste smuggling and captured 37 suspects. Over 10,000 tonnes of waste paper, plastics and tailings have been returned or disposed.