"Shifting the Pollution Problem: Recycling Plastics in Southern China'
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"Shifting the Pollution Problem: Recycling Plastics in Southern China' By K athryn Palko A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the M aster of Arts in International Development Studies at Saint Mary's University Halifax, Nova Scotia November 18,2005 © Kathryn Palko Approved By: Dr. Anne Marie Dalton Supervisor Dr. John Devlin 1st Reader Dr. Julia Sagebien External Examiner Library and Bibliothèque et 1^1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de l'édition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre référence ISBN: 0-494-15259-1 Our file Notre référence ISBN: 0-494-15259-1 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant à la Bibliothèque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce,Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve,sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par télécommunication ou par l'Internet, prêter, telecommunication or on the Internet,distribuer et vendre des thèses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, à des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non sur support microforme, papier, électronique commercial purposes, in microform,et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. 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Canada Abstract “Shifting the Pollution Problem: Recycling Plastics in Southern China” By Kathryn Palko The thesis examines the effectiveness of recycling as a market remedy for the environmental impacts of wastes. A case study of the market for recycled plastic wastes is presented. Data was collected on the North American plastic waste market, and on environmental and labour conditions in nine plastics recycling factories in Guangdong, China, which import plastic wastes from developed nations for processing. Land and air pollution, as well as excessive work hours and occupational health concerns were identified. Findings show that the integration of plastics recycling into a global market has shifted the impacts of plastic waste management from North America to less powerful citizens in China. Additionally, the case study revealed the difficulty of tracing plastic waste as a commodity and thus, in determining accountability within a complex, global trading network. These findings strongly indicate that policies which rely on the market to provide environmental protection, are inadequate. Alternative policy instruments are suggested, which would shift environmental decision-making from the private to public sector. November 18, 2005 Acknowledgments A number of people provided me with guidance and support during the course of this study. First, I would like to offer special thanks to RRFB Nova Scotia, specifically Roy Sherwood, for providing the financial support necessary to conduct field work for the project. I would also like to thank Barry Friesen, former Solid Waste-Resource Manager at the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Labour for the idea and impetus for the study and for all of his support and encouragement. In China, a number of people were kind enough to assist me, not only as translators but as invaluable research assistants. I would like to offer special thanks to Mr. Shawn Shen, former classmate, and Graduate of the International Development Studies Masters Program, for his research support and for helping me overcome some of the cultural challenges I was faced with. Finally, I would like to thank my committee, especially Professor Anne Marie Dalton and Professor John Devlin, for their advice, insight and encouragement. Table of Contents Introduction......................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: The Environmental Problem of our Production- Consumption System......................................................................... 6 Economic Development and the Environmental Problem .................................................6 Explaining Environmental Problems .................................................................................. 8 Remedies to Environmental Problems .............................................................................. 11 The Economic Perspective ............................................................................................. 11 The Environmentalist Perspective .................................................................................14 Power and the Distribution of Environmental Impacts .................................................... 16 The Global Economy and the Shifting of Environmental Impacts .................................22 Global Economic Integration and Distancing ...................................................................27 Summary............................................................................................................................. 29 Chapter 2: The Environmental Problem of Waste.................. 30 The Environmental Impacts of Waste ............................................................................... 30 Explaining the Problem of Waste ......................................................................................32 The Global Shifting of Waste ............................................................................................34 Remedies to the Waste Problem ........................................................................................35 Recycling, the Economic Criteria of the Market, and the Influence of Power ..............39 The Global Market in Waste Materials .........................................................................42 Health Impacts of the Recycling Trade ........................................................................44 Summary............................................................................................................................. 47 Chapter 3: Methodology.................................................................48 Methodological Approach .................................................................................................48 Rationale ......................................................................................................................... 48 Research Design ..............................................................................................................50 Sampling Strategy ...........................................................................................................51 Study Sites: Guangdong Province ............................................................................... 52 Anonymity and confidentiality ......................................................................................57 Methodological Process: Contribution to Analysis ......................................................... 57 Data Collection: Background on Plastic waste.................................................................59 Data Collection: Determining Impacts .............................................................................60 Notes on Language and Communications ........................................................................61 Analysis................................................................................................................................62 Chapter 4: Case Study.....................................................................63 Background ......................................................................................................................... 64 Environmental Impacts: Plastic Wastes ............................................................................65 Landfills .......................................................................................................................... 66 Incineration .....................................................................................................................68 Litter.................................................................................................................................68 Marine pollution ..............................................................................................................69 11 Environmental Impacts: Production ................................................................................. 70 Health Impacts: Production ................................................................................................72 Plastics Recycling: Background History..........................................................................75 Development