How fast has China's plastic industry been growing in the past 15 years? Will the growth slow down in the near future? How important is imported plastic waste for China?

According to Beijing-based China Plastics Processing Industry Association, the Chinese plastic processing industry has been developing at double-digit annualized growth rate since 1996. The global recession hit many export-oriented firms, but industry-wide growth started to pick up in April 2009, thanks to rising demand from the appliance, auto and construction industries.

CPPIA President Liao Zhengpin estimated that the industry will grow 15 percent this year. In the first quarter, sales increased by 33.5 percent and exports by 22.9 percent.

From 2011 to 2015, the output of sizable plastic firms (those with annual sales of no less than 1 million yuan) will double and reach 80 million metric tons, he said at the Chinaplas trade show last month.

Recycled plastic now represents a third of the resin that processors in China consume. The country imported 7.32 million tons of plastic scrap in 2009, along with 10 million tons of recycled plastic generated domestically.