China will tighten the control of imported waste to eliminate potential environmental risks, Ge Zhirong, deputy director of the State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, said on Saturday.

 

"Import of waste materials for recycling is necessary for the economy, but the import of wastes that don't conform to standards poses a grave danger to the environment," Ge said at the inauguration of the renewable material branch of the China Inspection and Quarantine Association.

 

The current regulations on the management of imported waste will be amended as soon as possible, he said, adding that the new rules will require the registration of suppliers, inspections both before shipment and upon arrival and follow-up inspections.

 

Other measures include the registration of all receivers of imported waste and full enforcement of the newly-amended environmental control standards for the import of solid waste as materials.

 

China will also strengthen its cooperation with other countries in cracking down on the cross-border transfer of rubbish and dangerous waste, Ge said.

 

China's thirst for raw materials has in recent years produced a surge in the import of waste materials for recycling, but the presence of the dangerous waste has raised concerns over the potential dangers to the environment.

 

According to official figures, the country's inspection and quarantine authorities recorded the import of 326,600 shipments of waste materials worth 11.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2005.

 

Among them are 5,039 shipments of illegal waste with a combined weight of 1.21 million tons.

 

(Xinhua News Agency April 24, 2006)