Global Trash Trade Is Shrinking And Scrap Is the New Strategy
♻️ Why Global Waste Trade Is Falling And Why It Matters
For years, rich nations shipped plastic waste to countries like China. It looked like recycling. In reality, much of it was contaminated and poorly processed.
In 2018, China’s “National Sword” policy shut the door on dirty imports. Later, amendments under the Basel Convention made cross-border plastic waste harder to ship without formal consent. The result? Global plastic waste trade fell sharply.
But here’s the twist.
Less trade doesn’t automatically mean better recycling. Many developed countries increased incineration instead. At the same time, scrap metal — especially steel and aluminum is becoming valuable in a decarbonizing world.
Electric Arc Furnaces (EAFs) use scrap instead of coal-heavy blast furnaces. That means lower emissions and lower energy use. Scrap is no longer trash — it is strategic raw material.
India, building infrastructure and expanding green steel capacity, stands at the center of this shift.
Tata Steel Ltd.