How China almost shut down the local recycling program in Petersburg

Officials in Petersburg were scrambling about two weeks ago when the borough recycling program almost shut down because the country recycling is sent to nearly refused to take it.

The recycling in Petersburg is exported to China, and in a national effort to become more environmentally friendly, it announced that importation policies would become stringent, said Karl Hagerman, the Public Works director.

The borough works with a recycling company called Republic Services that sends disposables to Seattle. From there, most is sent to China, Hagerman said.

China said it would ban certain materials...