New markets will have to be found for Whanganui's recyclable plastics because China is ceasing to import them.
But price fluctuations for recycled materials are nothing new, Whanganui waste minimisation adviser Stuart Hylton said. The Whanganui Resource Recovery Centre will ride out the changes.
"We hold on to products when markets are slow or close down. We will continue to do that. We have never sent any recyclable product to landfill."
China has been the world's biggest importer of recyclable product, but for the last two years it has stopped renewing import licences for 24 categories of recyclable and solid waste. The impact of this has increased over the last six months.
"I think this is a wake-up call for our industry. We shouldn't be relying on one outlet, China, even though it has been traditionally strong."