ISRI applauds Indonesia’s 2% contamination rate for scrap imports

‘A major win for manufacturers, recyclers and those purchasing goods with recycled content,’ says the US Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries in response to the Indonesian government’s plan to introduce a 2% contamination limit for recovered paper imports.

‘This policy allows for Indonesia’s vibrant paper manufacturing sector, and others that rely on environmentally-friendly manufacturing inputs, to fulfil their requirements for specification-grade commodities,’ comments Adina Renee Adler, vice president of advocacy for ISRI. ‘Many commodity grades are not available domestically and manufacturers must rely on the global supply to produce goods. This reaffirms the essential value of scrap commodities to the manufacturing supply chain and rejects the approach taken in China and elsewhere to treat these commodities the same as solid waste.’

More domestic supplies

The decree announced on 27 May by the Indonesian government also includes the creation of an inter-agency task force that, within six months, will develop a roadmap towards ‘greater self-sufficiency’ through increased domestic supplies and reduced import quotas.

The announcement comes after more than a year of direct advocacy by ISRI and others with the Indonesian government, including several visits to Jakarta and letters to policymakers.