BEIJING - Qingdao customs in East China's Shandong province refused entry of 4,067 tons of solid waste into the country, according to a statement on the website of the General Administration of Customs.

Under the watch of Qingdao customs officers, 150 containers loaded with mill scale were shipped from a local port to where it originated.

Mill scale, one of the solid waste banned from import, will cause severe damage to the ecological environment once entering the country, the statement said.

China began importing solid waste as a source of raw materials in the 1980s and for years has been the world's largest importer.

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.