As President Trump talks tough about tariffs against China, a January decision by the Chinese government is causing Billings recycling companies to send many types of plastics and paper to landfills.

Recyclables are one of America’s top exports, accounting for thousands of pounds of shipments each day. China is cracking down on contamination with it’s National Sword policy, which bans 24 types of solid waste.

The policy tightens regulations on contamination, squeezing the market to nearly unobtainable contamination levels for U.S. recyclers.

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