Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Did you know that only 9% of the world\u27s plastic has ever been recycled? As one might imagine, such practices have snowballed into a worldwide environmental-hazard that will profoundly shape this world for decades to come. The purpose of this presentation will be to examine the importance and global impact of China’s “National Sword” policy which permanently banned the import of 24 types of solid waste products. In doing so, this presentation will break down the political, environmental and economic forces that have influenced the implementation of such policy. I will also compare and contrast America’s waste and recycling infrastructure to other developing nations, with the purpose of identifying holes and inefficiencies within the recycling industry. Then I will bring the presentation to a close by laying out several policy alternatives that would work to counterbalance the inefficiencies described above