BEIJING, June 19 (Xinhua) -- More than 3.3 tonnes of smuggled solid waste were seized this year by customs officers of a major airport in Beijing, amid the country's move against the import of "foreign garbage."
More than 47,000 items of solid waste, including display screens and tablet PC parts, were confiscated in the 63 foreign waste smuggling cases that the customs office of the Beijing Capital International Airport dealt with so far this year.
In 2018, Chinese customs dealt with 481 trash smuggling cases, with 1.55 million tonnes of smuggled solid waste seized.
China began importing solid waste as a source of raw materials in the 1980s and was the world's largest importer for years, despite its weak capacity in garbage disposal. Some companies have illegally brought foreign waste into the country for profit, posing a threat to the environment and public health.
Given rising public awareness of environmental protection and China's green development drive, the country decided to phase out and halt such imports by the end of 2019, except for those containing resources that are not substitutable.
