After decades of living under gray skies, Chinese officials are getting serious about environmental laws. Within the past year inspectors have fined or charged 80,000 factories with criminal offences.
This crackdown is taking place across China and is resulting in a slowdown in production for inspections or complete closures of factories that do not meet standards. Customers of Chinese-made products are just beginning to feel the impact.
It is important to note that there are factories such as CCTY Bearing Company that are environmentally compliant. Generally, these types of manufacturers look to partner with other environmentally friendly companies for supplies such as raw materials and packaging.
How Pollution Control is Affecting Production
Pollution control measures are closing non-compliant factories, which has increased the demand for products from plants that are remain operational. Manufacturers that depended on now closed suppliers for specialized components are searching for alternate sources that meet their internal requirements. These two factors are increasing shipping timelines – and potentially costs.
The Bright Side
According to Reuters, China has pledged to cut average concentrations of airborne particles known as PM2.5 by at least 15 percent year-on-year in the winter months in 28 northern cities to meet key smog targets.
The initial stages of pollution control are showing results. For many people, it is the first time in years that they have seen a string of blue sky days – a welcom sigth for the people of China.