On October 23, the National Standard Information Platform announced that the national standard for “Recycled Pulp” will be revised.
Since the comprehensive implementation of China’s “waste import ban” in 2021, Chinese paper manufacturers have shifted away from directly using imported waste paper. Instead, many have invested in or collaborated on establishing recycled pulp production lines overseas. These lines recover sorted waste paper from abroad, remove impurities through dry or wet processes, and convert it into recycled pulp for export to China, where it is used by the domestic paper industry.
As waste paper serves as the primary fiber raw material for China’s paper industry, the shortage of waste paper raw materials has led to soaring prices and an increase in the number of recycling cycles for domestic waste paper. This has resulted in a continuous decline in quality (e.g., fiber strength). Meanwhile, imports of commodity virgin pulp and wood raw materials for pulping have been rising, significantly undermining the industry’s ability to maintain healthy and sustainable development.
Recycled pulp plays an important role as an effective supplement to raw materials for China’s paper industry.
Following the release of the national standard GB/T 43393—2023 “Recycled Pulp,” the absence of a standard for recycled pulp was addressed. This standard has become the acceptance criterion for imported recycled pulp, making a positive contribution to industry development and customs regulation.
Recently, Qingdao Customs intercepted a batch of non-compliant “recycled pulp,” drawing significant public attention.
The product in question was made from unsorted waste paper that had been simply shredded without undergoing sorting, decontamination, or other essential processes. It essentially constituted “waste paper fragments” and did not qualify as recycled pulp.
Furthermore, the General Administration of Customs has recently issued consecutive announcements—No. 195 (on declaration requirements for imported recycled pulp), No. 200 (on standardizing supervision and regulation of imported recycled pulp), and No. 201 (on publishing the industry standard “Inspection Procedures for Imported Recycled Pulp”). These announcements introduce new requirements for the supervision and acceptance of recycled pulp, making it necessary to revise the standard to better meet regulatory needs and guide industry production.
The standard will be revised in the following areas:
(1) Amend the definition of recycled pulp and add terms and definitions for dry-process recycled pulp and wet-process recycled pulp;
(2) Add process control requirements: recycled pulp production enterprises must have sterilization processes to ensure microbial safety of the product;
(3) Include a process flow chart for recycled pulp, along with key control steps and process parameters to facilitate supervision and product quality control;
(4) Revise labeling and quality instructions to comply with customs import declaration requirements.
Therefore, revising the national standard for “Recycled Pulp” is urgently needed. This standard is of significant importance for industry supervision, standardizing enterprise production, and improving product quality.
