BEIJING, Aug. 25 -- Shijiazhuang Customs in north China's Hebei Province has shipped back a batch of solid waste imported from overseas, said a statement from the General Administration of Customs.

Seized during an inspection, the 25,300-tonnes of garbage consisted of leftovers and scraps from the production of iron ore pellets, which are banned from import in China.

To avoid environmental pollution to the port area, the customs district has returned the garbage to where it originated according to the law, 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, 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.

As part of its anti-pollution efforts, the government decided to phase out and halt such imports by the end of 2019, except for those containing resources that are not substitutable.