The conflict currently raging in the world's recycling system wins far less attention than its trade war equivalent. But this battle over global plastics is an equally good illustration of the tensions bubbling up between emerging economies and the rich world, and the wider trend toward deglobalization they bring.
In 2018 China banned the import of many kinds of plastic waste, voluntarily giving up its position as the world's recycling giant. The plastic trade quickly moved elsewhere, mostly flooding into Southeast Asia. Countries with existing recycling sectors like Thailand and Malaysia were suddenly deluged with containers full of junk.
