DALIAN -- Customs officers in the coastal city of Dalian in Northeast China's Liaoning province intercepted nearly 35.74 tonnes of waste earlier this week.

The Dalian Customs said that customs officers inspected a batch of cargo from Australia on Tuesday, which was later confirmed as old conveyor belts. Since the conveyor belts were found heavily contaminated, officers took samples for examination.

The examination result showed that these goods were used and seriously worn steel rope core conveyor belts, which do not conform to the relevant technical standards of China, cannot be used for moving objects and are classified as imported solid waste, which has been banned in the country.

The conveyor belts have been transferred to the relevant departments for further investigation.

China began importing solid waste as a source of raw materials in the 1980s and for years has been the world's largest importer, despite its weak capacity in garbage disposal. Some companies have profited by illegally bringing foreign waste into the country, posing a threat to the environment and public health.

Given rising public awareness of environmental protection and China's green development drive, the country decided to phase out and halt such imports by the end of 2019, except for those containing resources that are not substitutable.