China's Ban on Australia's Recycling Waste

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CHINA’S BAN ON AUSTRALIA’S RECYCLING WASTE
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Introduction
Background
Technical challenges need urgent, practical and innovative approach (Camacho-Otero, et al,
2018). This is true specifically in systems thinking which creates answers to sustainability
problems where matters such as social inequality and climatic changes demand emergency
actions. The systems thinking makes sure that solutions are fully utilized and individuals can put
their full focus on the wider system and contexts within which the solution works.
Wicked Problem
Using the systems thinking, the paper reflects on China imposing a ban on Australia waste
recycling, to make an effort and realize the current sustainability.
Purpose
Therefore, this article focuses on outlining the major features of systems thinking that led to
China ban recyclables on Australia.
Plan
The article first gives the comparison and descriptions about the systems thinking and the
traditional one before looking at the systems thinking factors that China considered in banning
recyclables (Henna, et al, 2017).
The ban gave the most suitable answers to inconvenient questions in regards to the purity of
wastes, developed global environmental effects on China and worldwide as well as outlined the
susceptibility of markets recycling wastes in the supply chain globally. This also indicates the
requirement to implement the circular economy than just recycling as a result of modern

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economical or complex recycling challenges rather than leading to the massive consumption of
virgin plastics. This article ends by reflecting back at the benefits of systems thinking in relation
to the decision by China in banning Australia’s recyclables (Kirchain, et al, 2016)
The traditional method is an outdated method where by the subject matter or study matter of the
method is mainly focused. Therefore, it is limited in a wider field. Where solutions are found
based on a single aspect the remaining aspect could be altered thus interfering with the rest of the
system. On the contrary, as a result of the study of the relationship between things establishes a
narrow range of research and makes it easier to find solutions (Breek, A. T, et al, 2018).
On the other hand, systems thinking challenges the in-built process where solutions are found.
The main nature of systems thinking more so focuses on wider things such as the interrelation of
certain aspects or events of the challenges and seeks a solution from the circumstance. Systems
thinking might be helpful in solving problems in relation to sustainability. It is sort of an
improved common sense which can be used in any scenario. Being an alternative reaction to
issues related to exterior steps, it shows that embracing an endogenous perspective, where by
individuals contemplate on revealing their own acts can help solve the problem one is facing
(Forrest, 2014).
However simple issues can easily be approached using the traditional approach as systems
thinking will be difficult and complex to apply in such a scenario. The systems thinking is well
justified in very complex challenges. Therefore, consistent issues that are technical in nature can
solidly be approached by this process (McKinnon, et al, 2018). The diagram below show the two
approaches to problems namely: traditional thinking and systems thing:

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The picture above shows two approaches to problem solving (Saja, 2018).
The ban by China on Recyclables
The ban by china is not surprising. The reality at the moment offers the chance for critical
thinking on concerning Circular Economy and recycling as well as experience the current
landscape from a wider view. Of late, China approaches the broader picture and looks further the
common aspects so as to comprehensively understand global effects of the ban by applying the
systems thinking approach (Haines, 2016).
1. China became the suitable answer to an inconvenient question
The question for recycling industries was and still remains how to get consumers given that
streams of recyclable wastes are increasing now and then. The bitter reality is that recyclables
collected in large amounts are not fully purified thus have poor quality. China being the global
hub for recycling wastes, offered a convenient answer for a certain duration. Nearly two decades
China received recyclables, mostly plastics, containing high impurities. Large amounts of
recyclables that would be shipped to china were unfit to the local and regional end-users because
of their low quality by Australia, EU and USA. This was however a win-win transaction. The
western nations had the ability to establish high rates of recyclables, but less concerned with the
quality issues involved, helped China get low-end and cheap materials that were used as fuel or
processed further. This had a substantial effect in both situations thus the ban by China brings the
world back to the light (Saja, 2018).