Last July, China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection notified the World Trade Organization of upcoming restrictions on recyclable material being imported. As of January 1st, 2018, China (the largest importer of U.S. recyclables) began banning 24 categories of foreign waste and is no longer accepting recovered mixed paper – as well as recycled PET, PE, PVC and PS, textiles and vanadium slag. Restrictions on Category 7 Metals (which include copper scrap, aluminum scrap, aluminum used beverage cans (UBCs), lead, lead-acid batteries, nickel and zinc) have also tightened considerably. This has forced the U.S. to look into alternative markets to process our recycling, not only internationally, but also here at home. If you work in a recycling center and have the risk of handling any of these heavy metals, please be safe and remove toxic residue by using our Clean-All Soap.