Tissue reuse operation shut down in China

Some forms of reuse and recycling can give the sector a bad reputation, as a petty crime ring in Jiangsu Province, China, has recently demonstrated.

According to a report in the Hong Kong Free Press, a police raid in Jiangsu Province uncovered an operation where collected used napkins were being bleached, repackaged and sold as counterfeit branded products.

Materials, including used napkins, paper and tissues, “were seen scattered all over the floor in a courtyard” at the raided site, according to the media report. “Worms and insects could also be found at the site,” the Free Press report adds.

The perpetrators allegedly chose a popular brand name in which to repackage their product. They engaged in their hauling, sorting, bleaching and repackaging operations at night, according to the police.

Police also say the collected paper was bleached to give it a white color but was not disinfected before being cut and repackaged in its counterfeit form.

The investigation and subsequent raid resulted from a tip received from a legitimate local tissue maker.